Faith Community Nursing

Faith communities and health care organizations are both called to heal.  While they have different practitioners, vocabularies and tools, they share concern for the well-being of the people they serve. CHA is pleased to gather resources and practices on this page for sharing amongst faith community nurses and our members. For additional information or to recommend a resource for sharing, contact Nancy Zuech Lim, MPH, BSN, Director, Community Health Improvement.

What is Faith Community Nursing?

While the concept of faith community nursing may be relatively new to many, the role of the faith community nurse is deeply rooted in the Catholic Church's healing tradition. Not only does the faith community nurse often provide underrepresented individuals with a valuable link to health care, but acting of his or her own faith, the faith community nurse also becomes a healing hand of the Church. The faith community nurse always includes a focus on the spiritual dimension of health, often utilizing prayer, support groups, and Sacraments to promote healing. The faith community nurse is an advocate, an intercessor and a representative of God's healing love.

CHA Resources

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Living Well with Serious Illness
The Catholic Health Association developed this updated and refreshed guide to learn about the range of support that is available to patients and families to help them live as well as possible during serious illness. It is part of a series of publications that was created in collaboration with physicians, nurses, theologians and ethicists within Catholic health care to help people of all ages, backgrounds, religious traditions and beliefs make important decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care.

Order in the CHA Store
» Download PDF: English |  Spanish

CHA_SupportiveCare_CatholicTeachings_lowres_cover Teachings of the Catholic Church on Caring for People at the End of Life
The Catholic Health Association has developed this guide in collaboration with physicians, nurses, theologians and ethicists within Catholic health care. It is based on frequently asked questions to help patients, families and clinicians think about end-of-life decisions regarding medical treatments and care. Although the guide reflects the perspective of Catholic tradition, the information is helpful to people from any religious tradition.

Order in the CHA Store
» Download the PDF: English |  Spanish

Improving the Lives of Older Adults through Faith Community Partnerships: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit

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Order copies



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Elders and Faith Community Partnerships webinar (May 5, 2017)





Materials from Previous Networking Calls:
Suicide Prevention from a Faith Community Nurse Perspective
Cari Moodie, RN - Coordinator, Faith Community Nursing 
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center

Centura Health - Lawrence Seidl, Group Vice President, Mission Integration, South State Operating Group, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services

Faith Community Nurse Networking Calls

The Catholic Health Association (CHA) is pleased to host networking calls among parish/congregational nurses working with Catholic parishes, Catholic hospitals or other Catholic health care organizations.





Inspiration for the Journey

Resources to feed the parish nurse emotionally and spiritually


Recommended Reading List

  • Blessed Hanna Chrzanowska, RN: A Nurse of Mercy, the first lay registered nurse to be beatified, recounts the extraordinary life of a holy, 20th-century woman whose tireless efforts to serve her patients both medically and spiritually - even in the face of Communist oppression - changed Polish healthcare and the worldwide Catholic Church.
    Order the book
  • Faith Community Nursing by Janet S. Hickman
  • Faith Community Nursing: Developing a Quality Practice by Carol J. Smucker
  • Faith Community Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice by ANA
  • Parish Nursing: Promoting Whole Person Health Within Faith Communities by Solari-Twadell and McDermott