This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by
Percy McCray, Jr., Director of Faith-Based Programs
This page was reviewed on April 29, 2022.
For faith-based individuals, spiritual support may play a fundamental role in their treatment journey at City of Hope. Getting in touch with your spirituality may help you better cope with the psychological and emotional effects of cancer. If you express an interest in spiritual support services, they will be made available to you and your family members. At City of Hope, we reach across cultures, beliefs and religious backgrounds so that all patients, from any faith, may find the strength, motivation and inspiration they need during their cancer journey.
Our services
If you choose to integrate spiritual care into your cancer treatment, we offer a variety of services, including:
- Individual and group prayer
- Counseling with a pastor, clergy member or representatives from multiple faiths, including Judaism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others
- Weekly interfaith worship and communion services, as well as Bible studies at participating hospital locations
- Communication between our pastoral care team and your spiritual advisers at home, upon request
- Individual and group opportunities for spiritual support
- Telephone consultations
- Assistance in scheduling ceremonies, sacraments and spiritually significant observances
- Support and assistance in accommodating specific religious needs and restrictions, such as Kosher diets or beliefs that ban blood transfusions
Chaplains are also available for prayer before surgery and can meet with caregivers and family members at any time. In addition, some clinicians, including physicians and nurses, may choose to pray with patients as part of the care they provide.
Spiritual support services also are available to you any time you choose, even after you have completed your treatment and returned home.
