Friendship Village chaplains seek to ensure spiritual well-being

The chaplains at Friendship Village of Schaumburg seek to ensure the spiritual well-being of all residents.

Religion is not synonymous with spirituality according to the Rev. Shawn Kafader, a chaplain at Friendship Village. “In my own voice, I believe that every person has spirituality, whether or not they are aware of it. Spirituality is the part of us that connects with something beyond ourselves. Something greater than ourselves,” he said. Religion, he added, is one way to live out one's spirituality. As a chaplain at the retirement community, Kafader helps residents maintain or find a spiritual practice rooted in a religion or faith tradition, with which they are comfortable and in which they can find great meaning.

As ages increase, so too does the inclination to become more spiritual. The cause and effect makes great sense. It is inevitable that as people age, they are faced with increasing physical, cognitive, emotional and social challenges. A natural and in fact healthy response to this is to seek coping mechanisms in which spirituality and/or religion can play a tremendous role. Spiritual well-being promotes a sense of peace, purpose and connection to others. Studies show that spiritual involvement amongst seniors often results in better physical and emotional health.

Kafader said that the aging process puts adults into a mode in which they're constantly assessing what is truly important in their lives; what is really needed for their continued journey in life. “This forces them to reflect about what is important in their faith, what questions they have about their faith, and what kind of relationship they can have with something beyond this life. A hope and peace-searching attitude develops,” Kafader said. The practice of a faith tradition “opens a door for them to explore things greater than themselves; power beyond themselves,” he said.

Kafader said that what is interesting and particularly challenging as a chaplain at Friendship Village is the varied religious make up of the resident population. Virtually every faith tradition is represented at Friendship Village, and the spiritual team tries to accommodate them all. “We try to be sensitive to all people who will be attending any type of worship service,” he said. “Our stand is that we provide religious services in our residents' traditions. We are very diverse and make sure that what we offer is diverse as well.”Often times, religious leaders from various faiths come to Friendship Village to help.

While the holiday season is one that many people eagerly anticipate, Kafader is sensitive to the fact that it is also one that some people dread due to loneliness and grief from their losses. “Some have outlived their families and friends and would be alone for the holidays. So we create more community, more opportunities for people to be together. Our religious service is a wonderful opportunity for that. The message is that everyone is loved. That God loves them, and God understands their pain too,” he said.

During the holiday season, the message that Kafader likes to share with his community is that they should remember and celebrate the traditions that they've had through their lifetimes. “It's a wonderful time to reminisce with people about the memories of their holiday celebrations, the simplicity of gifts they received while growing up, the baking and recipes they had, the traditions they had around their faith,” he said. “Some are gone now, but they can create new traditions for themselves and for their families.”