We are Catholic chaplains of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We are here to be present to patients and supportive of family and staff.
We try to live out our Mission Statement in light of the Gospel. We work in collaboration with the other chaplains of the Interfaith Chaplaincy Center. We pray for your healing and we hope we can be part of your journey of faith.
The Mission of Saint Camillus Center for Spiritual Care is to accompany people in the midst of suffering with holistic healing and hope.
As chaplains we support, affirm, and challenge each other in a spirit of collaboration. We commit ourselves to be Church in its preferential option for the poor in the L.A. County/USC Medical Center.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has provided a religious presence to Los Angeles County Hospital since 1876, with the Daughters of Charity and the clergy from Sacred Heart parish. In 1889 the Archdiocese began to provide chaplains to Los Angeles General Hospital. The original, 100-bed county hospital was built in 1878 and became affiliated with the USC School of Medicine in 1885. Priests from the three nearby parishes — Sacred Heart Church (1889- ), Santa Teresita (1923- ), Saint Brigeta (1940?- ) — all provided Catholic chaplain priests for the patients’ needs.
In 1930, the cornerstone for the current hospital building was laid and the hospital was completed in 1933. (The TV soap opera General Hospital featured the building in its opening scenes.)
In 1954, Saint Camillus Parish was founded and since that time has provided Catholic chaplains to LAC+USC Medical Center. In 1985 and under the vision of then pastor Fr. Don Kribs, the parish boundaries were reworked and it became Saint Camillus Center for Pastoral Care. The chaplains’ full-time focus became the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center & Hospital, and USC University Hospital.
Today, St. Camillus Center for Spiritual Care continues to provide 24-hour ministry to this community.