Meditation chapel remodeled to embrace all faiths

Wildmind Meditation News
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Banner Boswell Medical Center [in Sun City, Arizona] reopened its chapel this week, just in time for Ash Wednesday.

The newly remodeled space, now a non-denominational meditation chapel, offers both patients and their families a quiet space to think and escape the busy hospital atmosphere.

Chaplain Larry Weidner, the director of Spiritual Care, said that the remodel is more inclusive to all religions. Instead of pews, the room now contains individual chairs, and the art is not specific to one religion, but a trio of paintings on one wall incorporates symbols from all faiths.

“As a hospital, we minister to anyone that comes here,” Weidner said.

Weidner pointed out that when the remodel was first proposed, he heard some complaints from people about…

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the switch to a nondenominational, rather than Christian, chapel, but he thought it was important to be welcoming to all religions.

Loretta Tropea, a hospital volunteer from Peoria, said the room looked completely different when she stopped in to receive her ashes Wednesday morning.

“I think it’s very nice,” Tropea said. “They did a nice job.”

The chapel also includes a new water feature just inside the door on a newly constructed wall, which blocks out noise from the busy lobby, where the room is located, giving visitors more privacy.

“It’s an environment that is quiet and peaceful and comfortable,” Weidner said, adding that the new design is more accommodating if a family wants a private session with him.

Chapel visitors can check out a library of more than 40 pamphlets on various supportive topics that Weidner said he has already seen circulating throughout the hospital in the hands of patients and families. There is also a special ‘faith box’ where handwritten requests for prayers can be placed for daily prayer by the chaplain.

Wildmind Meditation News
We comb the internet, looking for news stories related to all forms of meditation, whether Buddhist or not. To date we have posted thousands of news stories that cover everything from meditation and health to meditating celebrities. When we publish a story that's favorable to or critical of one form of meditation, this does not imply that we agree with the stance of the original news story.
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