Mission and Ministry Department

The mission of Mercy Medical Center and Catholic Health Initiatives is to nurture the healing ministry of the Church by bringing it new life, energy, and viability in the 21st century. Fidelity to the Gospel urges us to emphasize human dignity and social justice as we move toward the creation of healthier communities.

Mercy's Mission and Ministry Department exists to further the hospital's mission. The department oversees religious services, pastoral care, Mercy Employee Foundation, grantwriting, and hospital-based grant programs.

Mass Schedule
Masses are conducted Mondays through Fridays at 12:10 p.m. in Mercy's chapel. In addition, Masses are said during most Holy Days. For patients confined to their beds, Mass can be viewed on the hospital's own Channel 98.

Pastoral Care
Mercy is thankful for the chaplains who daily provide spiritual care to our employees, patients, and families. Chaplains are available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and a chaplain is on call 24-hours a day. Our staff is made up of some incredible individuals:

Les Albjerg - Spiritual Care Coordinator, Hospice
Les grew up in Minnesota and California. He completed his B.A. in anthropology at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn. He attended graduate school at the University of North Dakota and completed his master of divinity at Western Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Les completed four units of clinical pastoral education at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem. He is a certified chaplain with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education and is also a certified bereavement facilitator. He has been a chaplain with Mercy since 1991.

Teresa Scott - Chaplain MMC
Teresa grew up in the San Diego area. She worked for American Airlines for fourteen years. She took early retirement to fulfill her dream of completing college. Teresa graduated from Texas Christian University with a B.A. in religion and philosophy. She recently moved to Oregon after living in Texas for 20 years. Teresa joined our Mercy team in 2003.

Karen Iovin - Hospice Chaplain
Karen attended California State University, Northridge, and worked in the medical field in patient care, counseling, and administration for 25 years. She served as administrative director of the San Diego Memorial Society. She has completed her certificate of mastery in the Sacred Art of Dying and has completed two units of clinical pastoral education at the Veteran's Administration facility in White City, Oregon. Karen joined our staff in 2000.

Fr. Cletus Osuji - Catholic Chaplain
Cletus is a native of Nigeria. After a career in business he was called to the ministry. Fr. Cletus graduated from Pontifical Urban University in Rome. He did post-graduate work at the University of St. Thomas in Rome and earned his masters and doctorate degrees. He has served parishes in Germany, Nigeria, and Oregon. In 2001, he joined the Mercy staff.