Where do you go when your life is turned upside down because of serious illness or a death in the family? At Herlev Hospital, patients and their relatives now have a space to seek support or quiet after the Capital Region of Denmark opened a new Centre for Contemplation and Faith on 6 June 2019.
“Whether you are religious or not, most people feel a need to talk to someone about the big questions in life, and they need peace for reflection,” said Sophie Hæstorp Andersen (Social Democrats), Chairman of the Regional Council in the Capital Region of Denmark, and continued:
“This new Centre for Contemplation and Faith at Herlev Hospital brings us closer to a more human-oriented healthcare system that does not just view a patient as someone in need of medication and surgery, but also as a human being with emotional and spiritual needs.”
Room for believers and non-believers
The Centre for Contemplation and Faith contains a chapel, a Muslim prayer room and a neutral room with no religious symbols.
Hospital chaplain Matilde Nordahl Svendsen looks forward to using the centre:
“Our many years of experience show that when our patients and their relatives are facing milestones in life, for example dealing with a serious illness, saying goodbye to loved ones or carrying a newborn as new parents, many look towards the spiritual dimension of life,” she said.
“The hospital provides physical treatment for our patients, but the new Centre for Contemplation and Faith offers a beautiful and aesthetical setting for spiritual reflection and the possibility to withdraw from the hectic life at the hospital.”
Facts
The Centre for Contemplation and Faith was financed by:
- A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Foundation: DKK 10 million
- Gladsaxe-Herlev deanery: DKK 2 million
- Chr. P. Hansen og Hustrus Fond for Almengørende formål foundation: DKK 100,000
- Herlev Bladet (local paper): DKK 25,000
- The Regional Council in the Capital Region of Denmark has granted DKK 2.7 million as joint financing.
The Centre for Contemplation and Faith was designed by Henning Larsen Architects and the consulting consortium responsible for planning the new Herlev Hospital, providing unique cohesion with the existing hospital, new buildings and gardens.
Further information
- Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, Chairman of the Regional Council: Via the On-duty Press Officer +45 70 20 95 88 or presse@regionh.dk
- Hospital chaplain Matilde Nordahl Svendsen: Tel.: +45 30 32 20 45 or matilde.nordahl.svendsen.01@regionh.dk