Earning chaplaincy certification from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) is an important and impressive achievement. The certification signifies that an individual has obtained specialized skills, unique expertise, and the required training in Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) to provide spiritual support and pastoral care as a professional chaplain.

In 2020, Father Arockiasamy ‘Samy’ Santhiyagu, HGN, was assigned by the diocese to St. Mary’s Health System in Lewiston. He ministers at both the hospital and d’Youville Pavilion, which provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, and memory care, as well as skilled nursing and restorative programs. In early 2024, he began the application process for NACC certification.

“It’s been a privilege to minister to the St. Mary’s community, keep them connected to their faith and spirituality, whatever that may be, and offer them compassionate care,” says Father Samy. “However, I was extremely interested in growing my career and providing even more to my community. I’m pleased that achieving this goal aligns so well with Bishop Ruggieri’s recent comments on the importance of certification.”

A NACC-certified chaplain adheres to an important and national standard of high-quality spiritual care that includes:

• Providing leadership and education that shapes and supports an organization’s culture of spirituality, mission, and values.
• Collaborating with department members to align a community’s spiritual care and organizational goals.
• Advocating within a community to serve for justice, human dignity, stewardship of resources, quality, excellence, and safety.
• Designing and implementing programs across the continuum of care that address diverse religious, cultural, and spiritual needs.
• Providing effective spiritual care by contributing to the well-being of a community’s spiritual and emotional needs.
• Using a spiritual assessment to develop an intervention or care plan for an individual or community.
• Promoting the dignity of each patient or resident through ethical decision-making, especially when approached for clarification on ethical and religious questions.
• Holding religious services to serve the community’s specific needs.
• Facilitating support groups and providing resources to empower community members to face the future with courage and hope.

“Earning this certification substantiates that Father Samy has achieved the very highest level of chaplaincy certification,” says Susan Belanger, PhD, MA-HCML, MA-BEHP, RN, NEA-BC, HEC-C, and senior vice president of Mission Integration and Ethics, Covenant Health. “He completed a rigorous course of study, deepened his pastoral ministry skills, demonstrated professional competence, and recommitted himself to continuous education and professional development. We are immensely proud to have him as part of St. Mary’s mission team.”

Father Maria Doss earns chaplaincy certification

Also earning chaplaincy certification was Father Antony Alexander Maria Doss, HGN, parochial vicar of St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent and director of the Christian Life Center in Frenchville.

He says he was inspired to do it by Father Samy, to whom he turns when he needs guidance in caring for the elderly and the dying in his parish.

“CPE taught me to care for a person holistically! Holistic care allows a chaplain to focus on body, mind, spirit, and emotions while caring spiritually,” he says.

Father Maria Doss says he hopes to serve as a hospital chaplain in the future.