August is National Grief Awareness Month, a wonderful time to recognize two important members of a Crossroads’ integrated care team, a chaplain and a bereavement coordinator. In this edition we spotlight Chaplain Christian Bennett of Crossroads in Philadelphia. In our next edition we will shine a spotlight on Bereavement Coordinator Tom Daniel of Crossroads in Cincinnati.
Spotlight on Chaplain Christian Bennett
Being Present is Everything
Growing up on a farm in upstate rural Pennsylvania Christian Bennett knew all about doing chores and working hard. Christian’s path to chaplaincy began years ago in college where, as a computer science major, he was drawn to campus ministry and a deeper calling.
Christian worked professionally as a computer programmer for five years while volunteering his time with the campus ministry. “It was during that time that I felt called to care more directly with people than create computer software,” Christian remembered. His work transitioned from programming to campus ministry and eventually to hospital and hospice chaplaincy. His work now focuses upon comforting patients and families as they deal with medical challenges, outcomes, stress and death.
During overnight shifts and crisis calls, Christian learned an extremely valuable lesson. He said, “Just being there, being present is what matters most.”
It was in his role at the hospital that he met a hospice chaplain and became interested in transitioning to end-of-life care. This coincided with his training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) which included a second-year residency focusing upon palliative and comfort care. This extra CPE experience led him to apply for a chaplain position with Crossroads.
Inspired by an Early Meeting with Perry Farmer
Christian joined Crossroads in Philadelphia 10 years ago in 2015. Very early in his tenure, he was lucky to meet our Founder Perry Farmer. Perry inspired the Philadelphia team with Crossroads’ gold standard and the importance of ensuring that no one dies alone. This concept resonated deeply with Christian. To this day he embraces Even More Care (EMC) and is often a Crossroads professional attending a death.
During his time at Crossroads Christian has been there for countless patients and families through their end-of-life journeys. Even in challenging situations like when parents of a sick baby refuse medicine or a family asks that a dying patient be revived, he respects the wishes of the family first and foremost. His advocacy for families has even improved some internal processes so families’ wishes are clear.
Christian’s work as a chaplain is rooted in humility, spirituality and deep respect for the human experience. “To do this work, you need to know where you stand spiritually,” he said. His advice to future chaplains? “Be emotionally present, be a curious listener, have awareness of the sacredness of the patient’s remaining time and allow a comforting silence when quiet reflection is needed.”
When describing his professional passion and approach, Christian is quick to credit Crossroads’ entire integrated care team. He has a guiding phrase first spoken to him by the president of a former campus ministry he served with, “Fail in the right direction.” Christian rarely fails but he does believe in trying new approaches to connect with patients and families. He is always showing up with openness and care at the end of life when it’s hard and emotions are running wild. This is why being a Crossroads chaplain is Christian’s calling.
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