Chaplain services
VA Boston health care chaplains serve people of all faiths and denominations as well as patients and families looking for non-denominational support. They are here to listen and offer spiritual and emotional support as you struggle with tough questions and ethical decisions.
Spiritual and religious services
We are a healing and caring department at VA Boston Healthcare System.
We provide a safe spaces and confidential care, where Veterans of all faith traditions and world views are invited to find and restore a deepening sense of spiritual well-being.
As chaplains, we are clinically trained and come from diverse faith backgrounds and experiences. We believe that no one should have to journey through life alone, and know that there are times when we all need each other for connection, companionship, community and counseling. We honor the full humanity of every Veteran. Therefore, our goal is to support you, as you are, no matter where you have been, what you might have been or are still going through.
Chaplain supportive spiritual care programs and activities:
- Spiritual assessment
- Bereavement care for loss and grief
- Suicide prevention and postvention care
- Pre- and post-surgical care
- Comfort and counseling (individual and group)
- End of life issues
- Assistance with major medical and life decision-making
- Hospice and palliative care
- Military sexual trauma
- Moral injury
- Post-traumatic stress
- Sacramental ministry (communion, anointing of the sick, last rites and more)
- Tele-chaplaincy
- Whole health
- Women Veterans
- Risk screening to identify factors that may affect wellness and recovery
- Facilitate spiritual issues related to tissue and organ donation
- Communication, care and support for caregivers
- Facilitate staff communication and team building
- Conflict resolution among patients and family members, and staff
- Referral to internal and external resources
- Employee and family support and counseling
- Memorial services
- Warrior to soulmate – relationship enrichment program
Religious services:
- Baptism
- Wedding
- Communion
- Last rites
- Other rites and rituals
- Funeral
- Worship
- Religious and spiritual resources
Chaplains are members of the patient care clinical team:
- Participate in medical rounds and patient care conferences
- Participate in interdisciplinary education and team meetings
- Chart spiritual care interventions on patient’s medical records
- Facilitate communication between care teams and patient family
Benefits
Research shows that spiritually active patients experience or report:
- Faster healing
- Greater coping skills
- Reduced pain
- Better quality of life
Contact a chaplain
For more information, contact one of our chaplains at 857-203-5125 or 774-826-1125.
Brockton Campus:
Kerrie Godsoe, program support assistant
Phone:
Building 24
940 Belmont Street
Brockton, MA 02301
Offices - First Floor
Interfaith Chapel - First Floor, Room 101
Chief of Chaplain Service:
Barry Eneh MS, MPH, PHD
Chief of the Chaplain Service
VA Boston health care
Phone: 774-826-2607
Email: Barry.Eneh@va.gov
Roman Catholic Chaplains:
- Chaplain Barry C. Eneh
- Chaplain R. Peter Francis
- Chaplain Robert E. Roetzel
Protestant Chaplains:
- Chaplain Joseph D. Johnson
Jewish Chaplains:
- Chaplain Richard D. Messing
West Roxbury Campus:
Phone: 857-203-5125
Building 1
1400 VFW Pkwy
West Roxbury, MA 02132
Offices - Ground Floor, Room GD-122B
Interfaith Chapel - Ground Floor, Room 122
Roman Catholic Chaplains:
- Chaplain Bruce N. Teague
Protestant Chaplains:
- Chaplain Galina Li
Jewish Chaplains:
- Chaplain Richard D. Messing
Interfaith:
- Chaplain Hali Diecidue
Jamaica Plain Campus
Phone: 857-364-5065 or 774-826-2607
Main Building
150 S Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02130
Offices - Third Floor, Room D127
Interfaith Chapel - Third Floor, Room E3-90A
Orthodox Chaplains:
- Chaplain Christopher P. Foustoukos
Protestant Chaplain:
- Chaplain Lorna Graham
Chapel worship services
All interfaith chapels are open daily for prayer, meditation and reflection.
Brockton campus
Worship services
Roman Catholic
Sunday Mass
10:00 a.m. Chapel Building #24
11:00 a.m. Community Living Center Building #4 - PAUSED due to COVID-19
Week Day Mass
11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday Chapel Building #24
Protestant
Sunday Chapel Worship
11:00 a.m. Chapel Building #24
West Roxbury campus
Roman Catholic
Weekday Mass
12:05 p.m. Monday - Friday Chapel Building #1, ground floor, Rm. GB-122
Jamaica Plain Campus
Chapel open daily for prayer, meditation, and reflection
Blessed Sacrament Chapel, 3rd floor, Room D127
Meet our chaplains
Chaplains of the VA Boston Healthcare System:
- Chaplain Barry C. Eneh, Chaplain Chief (MS, MPH, PhD, BCC-VA): Chaplain Barry is a Board Certified chaplain with graduate-level training in public health management, healthcare administration and integrated marketing communications. He is endorsed by the Archdiocese of Military Services U.S.A. and has 32 years-experience in academia, hospital ministry and community non-profit leadership. His hobbies include soccer, table and lawn tennis, reading and writing.
- Chaplain Hali Diecidue (MAJS; MEd): Chaplain Hali Diecidue is a Jewish Chaplain with a background in education. Hali has been a chaplain for 25 years with focuses on Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care, Pastoral Care for People with Dementia and Spiritual Care in the LGBTQ communities. Hali plays ice hockey as a goalie, and bakes artisan bread several times each week.
- Chaplain Christopher P. Foustoukos (MDiv): Chaplain Christopher Foustoukos is an Eastern Orthodox (Orthodox Christian) Chaplain who is a Veteran of the USAF. He served as a missile launch officer. He has been a chaplain for 23 years at VA Boston. He enjoys gardening and landscaping, travel, and watching the Patriots games, along with spending time with his family.
- Chaplain R. Peter Francis (BA, BPhil, MDiv, STL): Chaplain R. Peter Francis is a Roman Catholic Chaplain. He has 35 years of pastoral care/counseling experience including 17 years in VA. He ministers to Veterans who have experienced issues and concerns with mental health, moral and spiritual injuries, addiction and abuse, PTSD and suicide, hospice and palliative care, to name a few. He is a board-certified chaplain from the NCVACC and the NACC-VA and is ecclesiastically endorsed by Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the U.S. Military Services. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, gardening, cooking, reading and singing.
- Chaplain Joseph D. Johnson (BS, MDiv): Chaplain JJ, Joseph Daniel Johnson, is a Protestant Chaplain and is endorsed by the National Baptist Convention – USA, Inc. He is a retired Navy officer who served the Sea Services as a chaplain. He began his military journey by enlisting in the Air Force and served as a personnel specialist as well as a computer operator. He enjoys family time, music and basketball.
- Chaplain Galina Li (BEng, MDiv): Chaplain Galina Li is nondenominational Christian Chaplain with background in engineering. She is board certified by Association of Professional Chaplains and currently pursuing Doctor of Ministry degree. Chaplain Galina worked as a hospital chaplain for eight years at some of the largest academic teaching hospitals in New York and Massachusetts prior to coming to VA. She is specializing in support for the Critical Care and Emergency departments, and providing spiritual and emotional support for the employees. In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling.
- Chaplain Richard D. Messing (BA, MA, PhD): Chaplain Richard D. Messing is a Jewish Chaplain. He has been a chaplain for 35 years. Some of his hobbies include keeping up to date on sports and reading. A fun fact is that he lived in Jerusalem for eight months.
- Chaplain Robert Roetzel (BS, MDiv, STM): Chaplain Robert Roetzel is a Roman Catholic Chaplain. He is a retired Army officer who served as a combat engineer and chaplain. He has been a chaplain with the VA for three years. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing and reading.
- Chaplain Bruce N. Teague (AB, MDiv): Chaplain Bruce N. N. Teague is a Roman Catholic Chaplain. He grew up in a military family with his father being a career combat naval officer who served in both WWII and the Korean War, and his mother being a WWII Navy veteran. He has been a priest for more than 41 years alongside more than 11 years serving as a chaplain at Academic Teaching Hospitals. In his free time, he enjoys reading, watching movies and live theater, swimming, and hanging out with friends.