Healing Hearts through innovative spiritual care

This year the SF General Hospital Foundation chose to honor the tremendous work of Sojourn Chaplaincy in their annual Hearts in SF Event. We are so grateful and honored to receive this honor and to be among so many healthcare heroes here at the General. This event was held online and hosted by Pria David Clemens of KQED at the SF Giants Stadium. You can watch the Sojourn segment below or you can watch the entire event and celebrate all the award recipients by clicking here.

Want to support our work? Click here to donate to Sojourn.

Have you felt drawn to spiritual care in community contexts? Are you interested in working with people of many different spiritual beliefs and traditions? Is Chaplaincy a path you are interested in exploring? This fall, join us for a deep dive into the art of Spiritual Care at SF’s only public hospital and Trauma Center

Our 2022 Chaplain Training program will run from Spring/Summer 2022.   Class will be held from 5-8pm on Tuesday nights.  Cost of the program is $1000 with scholarships available based on financial need. If interested, please complete the application process and once accepted, then ask about a scholarship.   Many of our students receive scholarships so please don’t let finances be a barrier!

Please note that dates are currently not finalized and parameters of the class may change due to needs around the pandemic. A commitment to serving in person in a hospital during the pandemic and a willingness to be flexible to a potentially changing learning environment is required for acceptance into this program.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. You can download our application below.  Please submit completed applications to Mary Cecile Gee at marycecile.gee@sfdph.org

From 4-5pm on Thursday May 14th, please Join Sojourn Chaplaincy and ZSFG as we welcome Ameena Jandali from the Islamic Network Group for a workshop on Islamophobia and supporting Muslim patients. We will discuss ways healthcare providers can be in solidarity with the Muslim community and how to support Muslim patients during the Holy month of Ramadan.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84549844013?pwd=Wit5eVdaR25XcWtRM0pMbHEybW85UT09

Meeting ID: 845 4984 4013
Password: Ramadan

Can’t find your congregation’s online service link? Try this page for links to online services from congregations around the city.

Since 1982 Sojourn has practiced the mission described in its name: “to stay with for a time.” We offer compassion and understanding to patients and their loved ones as well as to the staff at SFGH. Our vision: Comprehensive spiritual and emotional support for everyone who needs it.

Sojourn Chaplains offer support through a skilled response to suffering. Chaplains work alongside patients, families and staff to support them in reconnecting with their inner resources that will carrying them through the challenges they face.

Sojourn provides a critical element of San Francisco General Hospital’s holistic care. SFGH staff members are skilled in providing resources for physical, mental and emotional health. Sojourn completes the circle, by attending to the spiritual needs of patients, families and staff.

Dr. Jeanne St. Pierre, former Unit Chief of the LGBT Psychiatric Unit at SFGH writes: “Often in a day I realize the inadequacies of modern medical treatments for trauma, schizophrenia, substance dependence, and other causes of emotional suffering. At those times I am particularly grateful for the Services of Sojourn chaplains. Chaplains offer kindness and understanding to those who will likely never be cured, yet do not need to be alone with their pain.”

We are so grateful for all our supporters and partners who helped to make this Valentine’s Day, “Love Sojourn Day”.  By 3pm, we had exceed our goal of $500 and our generous donor decided to increase their match!  In total, we raised $803 and so with the matching gift Sojourn received $2,409!!

We bow our heads in gratitude to each of you for your support and your love.

We hope you will celebrate with us this Thursday February 21st for an Evensong at Grace Cathedral at 5:15pm.  Refreshments will be served and chaplains will be honored afterwards in the
Wilsey Room just below the Cathedral.

All are welcome–please bring family and friends!
We hope you can join us.

With Love,

Rev. Claire Bohman
Sojourn Director

Happy Valentine’s Day! As we celebrate this day with all the chocolate, flowers and balloons, we want to send a giant Valentine to all our extended family. We are so grateful for your support, in all the ways you give it: the volunteer hours, the donations, the encouragement.

Today we are asking that you help us make this Valentine’s Day into Love Sojourn Day. Love the reading glasses we bring patients so that they can relax with scripture or a novel, love the prayers we pray with people worried about their diagnoses, love the daily meditations in the prayer and meditation room, love the heart we offer staff members who need a little support. Sojourn does so much at the General, for the people in our city who need it the most. Help us continue to wrap this hospital up in love.

Join ZSFG and Sojourn Chaplaincy in Celebrating Spiritual Care Week this October 21-27.  The theme this year for National Spiritual Care week is “hospitality”.  Radical hospitality is foundational to the services that we offer here at the General.  As a safety net hospital, ZSFG serves some of the most marginalized people in the healthcare system.  At Sojourn we are committed to providing hospitality and compassionate care to all patients here at ZSFG.

Here at the hospital, we will be celebrating Spiritual Care week by offering resources for staff at the bridge between buildings 5 and 25 at lunch from the 22st-26th. Please stop by our resource table, learn more about Spiritual Care and help us in celebrating Spiritual Care Week 2018!

Do you love the Chaplains?  Please consider a donation to support our work.  This year Sojourn is a part of the city wide combined charities campaign.  Click here to donate to Sojourn through the Combined Charities campaign if you are a SF City Employee or you can donate here today!

We are excited to announce that Father Francis Htun has been assigned by the SF Archdiocese to work at the General full time!  Fr Francis, an ordained Roman Catholic Priest, comes to us after a year long CPE residency at UCSF and pastoral care experience in his home country of Myanmar.  We are honored to have Francis joining the Sojourn Team full time!