Prayers and Blessings for Healthcare Workers

An interfaith collection of prayers, blessings, and poems offering comfort and hope to the healthcare workers that give so much.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left few of us unaffected, but our healthcare workers have borne the brunt of its impact. Chaplains and clergy across all lines of faith have ministered to those caregivers through prayers and blessings.

This curated collection of interfaith prayers, blessings, and poems was written by those who minister to healthcare workers. It’s a beautiful resource that those who work on our medical front lines can carry with them or keep at their workstations for daily inspiration. It can also be used by chaplains and pastors who offer support to medical personnel.

Many of the prayers were written to meet specific needs during the pandemic, yet they speak to the shared grief and hope we all have carried as we continue to navigate this extraordinary time. Contributors include The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Rev. Barbara Crafton, Catherine Meeks, Jennifer Grant, Rev. Ineda Pearl Adesanya, and Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart.

MANDY MIZELLE is a chaplain, minister, writer, retreat leader, perpetual procrastinator, and imperfection advocate who lives in Durham, North Carolina. A lifelong lover of words—especially poetry—her favorite sacred texts are the everyday stories of our lives. MARTHA SPONG is executive director of RevGalBlogPals, an international online community with more than 4,000 members. She contributes to The Christian Century and The Huffington Post. An ordained United Church of Christ minister married to a Presbyterian minister, Spong and her family live in central Pennsylvania. GINNY WILDER is a poet, musician, and Episcopal priest currently serving as the Rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Passionate about taking the good news of Jesus Christ out into the city and beyond, she hosts a weekly Bible study in a bar, plays at local venues, and openly asks people about their prayer life. She has seven CDs and has performed in various venues, festivals, and churches on East Coast. GAYLE FISHER-STEWART, editor of Preaching Black Lives (Matter) serves currently as the interim rector at the historically Black, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. Prior to becoming ordained, she served with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC, and later taught at the university level while consulting with local and federal government agencies. She lives in Maryland. DAVID FINNEGAN-HOSEY is the College Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministries at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina. He is the author of Christ on the Psych Ward. In 2011, David was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a series of psychiatric hospitalizations. He now speaks and writes about the intersections among mental illness, mental health, and faith. David lives in Wilson with his wife, Leigh, and their dog, Penny Lane. JENNIFER GRANT is the author of several books including the picture book Maybe God Is Like That Too. which won a gold medal from the Moonbeam Spirit Awards for excellence in children's literature and was named a book of the year finalist in the Foreword Indies awards. Her second picture book, Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor Too, was named a Junior Library Guild official gold standard selection. She lives in Chicago, Illinois. INEDA P. ADESANYA is an American Baptist minister and spiritual director. Ineda holds masters degrees from San Francisco Theological Seminary and Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She provides spiritual direction, retreats, an annual Spirituality and Hermeneutics Forum, and a weekly blog. She teaches at the Interfaith Chaplaincy Institute, and is a pastoral counselor and spiritual director for the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, SFTS, and in private practice. She lives in Oakland, California. BARBARA CAWTHORNE CRAFTON is a popular preacher, retreat leader, and writer who teaches at Marble Collegiate Church and at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Reader's Digest, Episcopal Life, and many other publications. She is the author of many books, including Called, The Courage to Grow Old, The Sewing Room, Living Lent, and many others. She lives in Metuchen, New Jersey. Catherine Meeks, PhD, is Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing. She is the retired Clara Carter Acree Distinguished Professor of Socio-Cultural Studies from Wesleyan College and Founding Executive Director of the Lane Center for Community Engagement and Service. She is frequently asked to present commentaries on Georgia Public Radio and other radio and television programs. She is the author of six books and one inspirational CD and is the editor of Living Into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America and co-author of Passionate for Justice: Ida B Wells as Prophet for Our Times. She is the winner of The President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Clark Atlanta University and PhD from Emory University. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry is the Episcopal Church’s 27th Presiding Bishop. He was the Bishop of North Carolina from 2000 to 2015. Bishop Curry has a national preaching and teaching ministry and is a regular on TV and radio and a frequent speaker at conferences around the country. His books include Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus; Following the Way of Jesus: Church’s Teachings for a Changing World; and Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times.