Wales: Catholic hospital chaplain receives Covid vaccine

Fr Jason receiving the Covid jab

Yesterday, Welsh hospital chaplain Fr Jason Jones received part one of the Covid vaccine through the hospital of Swansea Bay health board.

Through the pandemic, Father Jason has had special training in PPE and been given full access to attend to the many Covid patients admitted to the hospital in his parish on Covid wards and Intensive Care Units.

Sadly during the first and second wave, he has given the Last Rites to more than 40 Catholics. Fr Jason is also on call for the non- Catholics twice a week, as there is a shortage of fit and healthy chaplains. "it's good to be of help to our non-Catholic brothers and sisters" he said.

Fr Jason told ICN: "It is terribly hard to summarise my chaplaincy work these past months. It has been exhausting physically and emotionally due to the many sad cases of death and often being the only person allowed in to visit and to be with the dying as family have to watch via iPad.

"Hearing families saying their last words of love and gratitude to a loved one via iPad before the machine is switched off, will stay with me for a long time.

"I pray that this pandemic will always keep my heart soft and aware of the struggles and tears of my people and make me a better more understanding priest.

"I am most thankful to Morriston Hospital for their immense support and awareness of the importance of chaplains and the full access they have given to me to be with Covid patients and especially the dying."

Besides his hospital work, Fr Jason Jones is a busy Parish Priest at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Morriston, Swansea. The church is also Menevia Diocese's Shrine of Divine Mercy.

Throughout Advent, Fr Jason has been visiting homes for the annual house blessings for the Kerelite community. He said: "All of them together with my large Filipino community, work at the hospital and at least 70% have contracted Covid these last months through their work."

The names of those who received the last rites are sent to the members of the SOS chaplet association for prayers, he said.

LINK

Sacred Heart Morriston and Shrine of Divine Mercy - https://sacredheartmorriston.org.uk/