YORK COUNTY — Recently ordained York County community ministers from The Chaplaincy Institute of Maine share the perpective that spirituality is a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves and often involves a search for meaning in life. 

At its annual ordination ceremony earlier this summer, chaplain graduates Nonie Freeman of Kennebunk, Jon Gale of Waterboro and Deirdre Drennan and Thomas Kircher of Biddeford wrapped up more than two years of core training that included 500 classroom hours of instruction and 300 hours of an internship in community service.

The nonprofit Chaplaincy Institute of Maine was founded in Portland in 2002 and its mission is to educate and ordain interfaith leaders who serve with integrity, spiritual presence, and a prophetic voice. More than 150 community chaplains have graduated so far from the program, serving cities and towns in Maine, coastal New Hampshire, and the greater Boston area. 

The program welcomes students of any vocational background, provided they have the capacity to do the required work and express a desire to be of service in the interfaith tradition.

Among Maine organizations served by the The Chaplaincy Institute of Maine’s Class of 2017 are the Biddeford-based St. Andre’s Health Care and Southern Maine Health Care (Palliative Program); Hope Gate Way in Portland; Mindfulness Meditation classes in Old Orchard Beach, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough schools;  the Waterboro Fire and Rescue; Hospice of Southern Maine (Scarborough); and Volunteers of America in Brunswick.

During the course of their studies, Freeman, Gale, Drennan and Kircher examined the history and practice of interfaith ministry, the world’s religions, wisdom traditions and other non-traditional paths, and service as spiritual practice.

They also studied group facilitation and honed leadership skills, public presence and public speaking, developed and deepened individual spiritual practice, awareness of their impact on groups, fostered their ability to give and receive feedback, and creating dialogue to resolve conflict.

Not every student that graduates from the program chooses to become a practicing chaplain, but now that they have completed their studies, Freeman, Gale, Drenna and Kircher could possibly lead religious services, offer spiritual guidance and counseling to those in need in their communities, if that is what they want to do. 

Students in the chaplain program come from all faith backgrounds and traditions, but all are described as having a curiosity about, and a willingness to learn about and serve people from many faith traditions.

The Chaplaincy Institute of Maine is not a degree-granting institution, but offers a professional certificate in Interfaith Chaplaincy, as well as the option to be ordained as an interfaith chaplain. 

In Maine, community chaplains may be called to a hospital or hospice facility to provide counseling and spiritual guidance for patients, their families, and even the hospital staff. Chaplains may also provide educational programs or conversion counseling to youth or incarcerated prisoners and assist those in recovery or struggling with addictions.

They also are on call to give grief counseling to students or at a workplace when a tragedy takes place or may plan and coordinate retreats and training for others who perform religious services and spiritual counseling.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 ext. 326 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com