Request a Chaplain Visit
Catholic healthcare embraces the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of the person.
Spiritual Care
Spiritual care can nurture your soul and give you hope and courage when you or your family faces a challenging situation. Our beloved chaplains offer support, guidance and simple companionship to you and those you love, no matter what your personal or religious beliefs.
Heritage of a healing ministry
The early Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, a community of religious women, responded to a call to care for those in need, especially the poor and vulnerable. The sisters’ passion for caring for the whole person – body, mind and spirit – continues today in our commitment to spiritual care for our patients and their families.
Palliative care
Many chaplains work closely with our interdisciplinary palliative care teams. Palliative care is a medical specialty and philosophy of care that focuses on relieving pain and symptoms of serious illness and improving quality of life. These teams often work with chronically ill patients, who may need additional support while making complex decisions. A palliative care team frequently includes a physician, nurse, social worker and chaplain.
Learn more about palliative care.
Grief support
If you or your loved ones face difficult life changes and loss, let us be a source of comfort in your time of need. Please reach out to your hospital chaplain for more information about grief and bereavement support.
Our spiritual care team is here for you
Our spiritual care team is available any time, day or night, to serve patients, family members, associates, volunteers and physicians. You may request a visit in the hospital. You are also invited to attend services including celebration of the Eucharist, Sacrament of Reconciliation, distribution of Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick.
Visiting clergy
Spiritual care is an important part of the healing process. You are welcome to invite your regular clergy member to visit you in the hospital. If your clergy member is unavailable, our chaplains can provide support or contact another spiritual leader from your faith tradition.
Our chaplains
Our chaplains are professionally trained to offer spiritual and emotional support during difficult times. During a visit, the chaplain may ask about you, your story and what matters most to you. They may ask how important spirituality is to you and which rituals and prayers you find meaningful. Chaplains can help you cope with fear, loneliness, grief, health issues, relationship difficulties or other life challenges. Our chaplains can be present with you as you communicate with other members of your care team.
Brian Tidd earned a five-year Bachelor of Arts and a four-year Master of Theology degree, planted and pastored many churches, taught seminary and worked in business before completing two years of Clinical Pastoral Education and becoming a Chaplain in 2012 . He currently serves the Thompson Valley Composite Squadron of the USAF Auxiliary/Civil Air Patrol as their Chaplain at the rank of Captain. His original 1995 ordination has been recognized by the numerous denominations with which he has served. 
Grant Kirksey is a Denver native and served at St. Anthony North and Porter Adventist hospitals prior to joining GSMC. He received a master’s degree in Theology from CLST in Georgia, a master’s degree in Science from The Wichita State University in Kansas and a bachelor’s in Science from Colorado State University in Fort Collins and completed his Clinical Pastoral Education in the Centura system. He is ordained by United Christian Faith Ministries in Tennessee. 
Pat Barker works at the hospital as an on-call chaplain. She lives in Wheat Ridge with one of her daughters and her sister. She is a Denver native who loves to garden, hike, read and play with her cats. She is an ordained minister with the Nazarene church and loves to do pastoral care, so chaplaincy was a no-brainer for her. She has been back in Denver for 12 years, having previously lived in Indiana, Tennessee, Germany and Washington State. She was in the Army as a chemical lab tech and still holds her LPN license from Indiana. She has three daughters and two granddaughters.
Miranda Bonvillain joined the Good Samaritan Medical Center in 2022 and serves as one of the night chaplains. Miranda was raised in Colorado Springs and earned her associate’s degree in economics at Pikes Peak Community College. She then went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in economics with minor degrees in political science and military science at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She then continued her education at Denver Seminary where she earned her master’s in divinity with a concentration of pastoral care and counseling. During this time, she completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education.
After 10 years of caring for her aging mother, Charlene Schaaf continued her Spiritual Care journey with us in March 2022 at Good Samaritan. She was born in Erie, PA, the oldest of four girls. Her Dad was a medical doctor and her mother was a nurse at St. Vincent Hospital in Erie, PA. Because science was not a strong point in Charlene’s studies, she found her path in the medical world as a chaplain.
Dwight Seawood is a native of Chicago, IL He graduated from Virginia Union University, B.A. in Religion & History and a Master of Divinity from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He is the proud father of one son Matthew Niles Seawood. He has held pastorates in Virginia and Minnesota. In addition to his academic preparation, he enjoys reading, fishing, going to movies and out to dinner, biking, and searching for antiques in his spare time.
