“For a chaplain or priest to be there, it gives them some sense of peace and calm … and moments like this put us [chaplains] in a situation to exercise pastoral judgement. It’s about giving compassion, empathy and care. Bringing comfort to the family — that’s at the core of pastoral care, of what we do.”
Tucked away on West 23rd Street in Manhattan is a guesthouse that offers Mass at 7 a.m. and a rosary group at 3 p.m. on most days. The Leo House is one of several Christian “hotels” in New York City. Michael Coneys, its president, said the guesthouse gets about 40,000 customers a year from tourists to business travelers to those visiting sick friends or family.
