chaplain

A chaplain is a trained professional who provides spiritual, emotional, and psychosocial support in secular institutions, serving people of any faith or no faith. The term chaplaincy can refer to the chapel, facility or department in which one or more chaplains carry out their role, as well as to the profession itself. The name originates from Martin of Tours, who gave his "cappellanu" cloak to a veteran in need during a snowstorm. Though the term chaplain originally referred to representatives of the Christian faith, it is now also applied to people of other religions or philosophical traditions, as in the case of chaplains serving with military forces and an increasing number of chaplaincies at U.S. universities. In recent times, many lay people have received professional training in ch...