Catholic Priest Services

1.  Title of Project:  Catholic Priest Services

2.  Background:  Clement J Zablocki VAMC, provides complete religious ministry to Veteran patients.

3.  Scope of Work:  The Contractor will provide Catholic religious and spiritual care in accordance with Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) Handbook 1111 (2), Spiritual and Pastoral Care Procedures, VHA Publications (va.gov). The contractor's representative(s) (Catholic Priest) will be guided by the practices of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Chaplain Service and will have recourse to the interpretation of VA Central Office Chaplain Service when such practice requires clarification. Contractor shall provide the following services:

1. Mass, Communion, and Holy Days of Obligation in the chapel as needed or requested when the current Staff Catholic Chaplain is not present or on vacation. Specific dates of need will be provided by the Chief Chaplain to the contractor. 
2. Provide Unit Visits: patients desiring Communion, or Holy Days of Obligation to include Rite/Sacrament at bedside.
3. On-call may be required if the full time Catholic Priest is unavailable, and a Catholic patient or resident is placed on seriously ill status or has died and requires the presence of a Catholic Priest.
4. Provide emergency call back which occurs outside of normal duty hours on an as needed basis to include Rite/Sacrament at bedside.
5. Hours of Operations: The contractor shall provide Sacraments during normal working hours (approximately between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.), Monday and Tuesday.

1. Emergency call back occurs outside of normal working hours when a patient or resident is placed on seriously ill status or has died and requires the presence of a Catholic Priest.
2. Work Hours – Catholic Mass, Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. When needed or requested.
3. Federal Holidays:
   1. The eleven (11) holidays observed by the Federal Government are as follows:

New Year’s Day        Martin Luther King’s Birthday      Washington’s Birthday

Memorial Day           June 19th (Juneteenth)          Independence Day

Labor Day                  Columbus Day                        Veterans Day

Thanksgiving             Christmas

1. 1. Any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.
2. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING

The contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this SOW until the CO has conducted a kickoff meeting or has advised the contractor that a kickoff meeting is waived.

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Provides Roman Catholic religious ministry to Catholic Veteran patients.
2. Provide Communion and other sacraments to Catholic Veteran Patients who may not regularly attend mass, receive communion, or who may not be active members due to various health challenges.

1. Provide general pastoral care for Catholic patients by performing Mass services (when requested) and Emergency call back for Sacrament of Anointing the Sick (Last Rites). General visitation of Catholic patients desiring visits from the Catholic Priest for religious sacraments as guided by Infectious Disease protocols and hospital policies. The Priest will be made available when the full time Catholic priest is not available.

1. Provide Sacrament of Anointing the sick (Last Rites) for seriously and terminally ill Catholic patients outside of normal hours when staff use Emergency callback procedures.  This occurs when a Catholic patient or resident is placed on seriously Ill status or has died and requires the presence of a Catholic Priest.

1. Provide pastoral care for Catholic patients and family as needed. Rites/Sacraments will be made available to patients requesting Catholic Rites and/or Sacraments when full time Catholic Priest is not available.

1. Conduct Catholic Mass. The contractor will provide Mass or Service of the Word when the full time Catholic priest is not available.

1. Ensure that all patients have opportunities for free exercise of religion and are protected from proselytizing.

1. Maintain a collaborative and collegial relationship with institution staff.