In her address, Dame Sarah said churches offering regular lunches in a community setting “can be as important as medical intervention for our physical and mental health”.<\/p>\n
She added that they can also assist people getting health check-ups.<\/p>\n
“At St Thomas’ Hospital, where I first trained, the chapel is a place of sanctuary for staff and patients, away from the busy wards. The multi-faith chaplaincy team is on hand to listen, pray or simply sit with those going through life’s most difficult and painful moments.”<\/p>\n
She continued: “Near the chapel is the children’s hospital. There are staff here who specialise in play therapy, softening the anxiety of a hospital stay, and speeding up recovery.”<\/p>\n
Services are under growing pressure, she said, but community support “can help deal with the root causes of many admissions”. <\/p>\n
“I see this in my own diocese in London, where people are delivering holistic support in different settings,” she said.<\/p>\n
At churches like SAINT in Hackney, where regular lunches are held, “people from all over the world, from many different backgrounds, experience a warm welcome, a health check-up if they need it – and importantly, the love of Jesus Christ, who showed us how to wash the feet of others”.<\/p>\n
She added: “In my calling now, I strive to carry the care and compassion that shaped my vocation as a nurse into everything that I do.”<\/p>\n
“The role of the Church should be a healing presence in our nation, bringing people together at times of often intense division, caring deeply for those who need our help.”<\/p>\n
Dame Sarah will become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral on 28 January. She was chosen to succeed Justin Welby after he announced his resignation more than a year ago over failures in the handling of an abuse scandal.<\/p>\n