Catholic Pastoral Care has been provided for over 30 years at Southern Maine Medical Center. This ministry is supported by Good Shepherd Parish and Holy Spirit Parish.

Pastoral Care Coordinator: Marie Fortier LaBrecque
Office hours: Monday & Tuesday 9am - 1pm, Wednesday 10am - 2 pm
& Thursday 9am -1pm. 

Telephone: (207) 294-5300 or email: Marie.LaBrecque@portlanddiocese.org

Pastoral Care of the Sick: Anointing of the Sick, Priest on Call, and SMMC Chaplain
If you know you will be going to the hospital for surgery or for some serious illness, we urge you to ask a priest to administer the Sacrament of the Sick before or after any Mass rather than wait until the last moment when no priest may be immediately available. This is something every priest is happy to do; your family and friends are welcome to join you so they can pray for you, too. It only takes a few minutes; just ask! For serious, unexpected illness, a Good Shepherd priest is on call at all times (unless impeded by the administration of other sacraments). 

At Southern Maine Medical Center (SMCC) in Biddeford and at other area institutions, ask any nurse to contact the Catholic priest on call.  You may also call the Good Shepherd Parish office at (207) 282-3321. 

Good Shepherd Parish and Holy Spirit Parish support the salary of a pastoral care coordinator at SMMC.  When patients identify themselves as Catholics upon admission, the pastoral care coordinator visits them, insures that they receive Holy Communion if they so desire, and communicates with the priest on-call should anyone need the Anointing of the Sick or prayers for the dying. A generous group of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the pastoral care coordinator. We owe a great debt of thanks to all these wonderful people, including those who regularly bring Holy Communion to the housebound. The pastoral care coordinator at Southern Maine Medical Center is Marie Fortier LeBrecque.

In Sanford, the pastor of St. Therese of Lisieux Parish (324-2410) covers Goodall Hospital. In Scarborough, priests from St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish (883-0334) are available as needed for patients at the Gosnell House Hospice. 

In Portland, there are priest chaplains at Mercy Hospital, and the annual Diocesan Appeal supports several priests serving the needs of patients at Maine Medical Center.