A Patchwork of Stories: chaplaincy in life-changing moments
ISBN: 978190940496
£10
It is said that in poetry, the unforeseen becomes the indispensable, something we hadn’t predicted suddenly becomes an inseparable part of who we are. So it is, too, with pain and hurt. The work of healing, and of poetry, is to open up spaces of possibility through the darkness of suffering. Judy Dinnen knows all this from deep within her professional work and in her very human soul. Her poems are flickering lights, insightful and humane.
The Rev’d Dr Mark Oakley, Dean, Fellow and Tutor, St John’s College, Cambridge
In a hospital and hospice setting a patient needs much more than treatment of the body. Emotional healing and reconciliation is perhaps as or even more important. This extends to family and carers who also require support in coping with their fears and helplessness. The role of the hospital chaplain is paramount in assisting the patient and carer. Through her writing, Judy found novel ways of fulfilling this difficult duty. Judy also writes about her own battle with cancer and this places her in a unique position of understanding suffering and the need for spiritual succour. This is an essential read for everyone, especially those in caring roles.
Leela Gautam, retired doctor and poet
This is a heartfelt book: stories, poetry, pain, peace all find their places here. Dip in for a thoughtful moment. Dive in, and feel it weave its wisdom around you. A gem.
Kathryn Mannix, well known palliative care doctor, writer and broadcaster
