Bishop John licensed the Revd Mike Corcoran as Lead Chaplain at Kettering General Hospital on 10 November.
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Mike, who runs KGH’s eight-strong multi-faith chaplaincy, and 26-strong team of spiritual and pastoral care volunteers, has been lead chaplain at KGH for the last six months. He received his license at a service in the hospital’s chapel attended by his team and other hospital staff, including Medical Director John Jameson.
The Rev Corcoran said: ‘As a lead hospital chaplain I essentially have two employers, the NHS, and also the Church of England, where I have been an ordained minister since 2014. Part of the official process to ratify my position as lead hospital chaplain is being licensed by the Bishop of Peterborough.’
‘In hospital our team supports patients of all faiths, and those with none, during their time in hospital. We also, which is often forgotten, support hospital staff and this is something I will be working to remind the hospital team of.’
‘For me it is a privilege to lead a relatively small team that has a big impact and I want our team to grow and flourish providing spiritual, pastoral, and religious support to people of all backgrounds.’
During the service the Rev Corcoran was presented to the Bishop by Sarah Parry, Macmillan Transformation Lead Nurse for End-of-Life Care.
Bishop John said; ‘Hospital chaplains do an amazing job in supporting people when they face some of life’s greatest challenges. They offer vital support to deal with the experiences of life and death in the context of faith, whatever that faith may be. Chaplaincy represents a distinct category of ministry and I am grateful to Mike, his team, and all those who take up this calling’.