The Archdiocese of Louisville has posted on Facebook in honor of Pastoral Care Week, a time of the year when those in ministry are shown the appreciation that the parish has for them. 

This year’s Pastoral Care Week theme is “Advancing Spiritual Care Through Research.”

“This week is Pastoral Care Week, established in 1983 by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. This week we recognize those individuals, both lay and clergy, who provide care in specialized settings such as hospitals, prisons, businesses, industries, long-term care facilities, pastoral counseling centers, hospices, military settings, nursing homes, corporations, congregations of sisters, priests and brothers, schools, and universities throughout the world. We are especially grateful for their heroic work during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Archdiocese of Louisville posted on Facebook. 

The theme of this year’s Pastoral Care Week is meant to reflect the work that many spiritual care providers give in environments such as healthcare and research related work, according to NACC. 

In order to be a pastoral care worker in Kentucky, you have to be certified by the Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counseling, according to KLPC. 

According to How I Got Job, pastoral care workers provide help including visiting prisons and hospitals to pray and counsel, educate, guide and heal.