There are several sacred spaces that are available for quiet reflection and prayer at all times.

The Bunting Interfaith Chapel:
Main Level Zayed Building (entrance in Bloomberg Building)

Weinberg Meditation Room:
1st Floor Weinberg Lobby

Viragh Meditation Room:
Viragh Building, Main Level

The Christ Statue (Divine Healer):
Billings Administration Building Lobby

Reflection Koi Pond (outdoors):
Between Peterson Courtyard and Phipps Building

Jewish Hospitality Suite:
Blalock 175 (Kosher food and religious books available)

The Johns Hopkins Hospital provides weekly worship services and around-the-clock pastoral care. Your own clergy person, faith community leader or spiritual counselor is also welcome in the hospital.

Catholic Mass

A listing of services in local Catholic parishes may be found on the Archdiocese of Baltimore website. Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy staff (410-955-5842) can also can also give you information about the most convenient parishes to the hospital campus.

Catholic Mass will be held at 12:00 pm in the Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Jewish Minyan

Monday through Thursday at 1:10 p.m. in the Jewish Hospitality Suite, Blalock 175, which is open at all times to patients and family members in need of quiet space and kosher snacks. Bikur Cholim, a volunteer auxiliary service, provides this ministry.

Kosher meal offerings are available in the Cobblestone Café retail area. Additionally, patients and guests visiting in patient rooms may order kosher meals by calling 410-502-3663, no later than 6 p.m. (6:30 p.m. for patients).

Please reach out to the Jewish Chaplain for updated information for the Minyan: 410-955-8538.

Muslim Jumu'ah

Congregational Muslim prayer on Fridays at 12:30-1pm and 1:30-2pm in the Bunting Family Interfaith Chapel.

Mr. Thomas Y. (Ty) Crowe, II, M.Div., B.C.C.

Director of Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy

Phone: 410-955-5842
Email: [email protected]

He is an ordained teacher in the Shadhiliyya Sufi Order, and is a certified ACPE Educator. Prior to coming to The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Ty served as Coordinator of Clinical Pastoral Education at Sutter Medical Center, in Sacramento, California, for four years and was a part-time chaplain for the Sutter Center for Psychiatry. He has supervised CPE students at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida; at Vitas Hospice in Ormond Beach, Florida; and at Tallahassee Memorial in Tallahassee. Ty has a particular interest in chaplaincy research and quality improvement, and is a Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Rev. Matt Norvell, DMin., M.S., B.C.C.

Clinical Manager

Phone: 410-955-5842
Email: [email protected] 

Rev. Matt Norvell is the Clinical Manager in the Department of Spiritual Care and the director of the RISE (Resilience In Stressful Events) peer support team which provides trained peer support for employees who encounter stressful, work-related events at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Before becoming director of the RISE team, Matt served for 10 years as the first Board Certified Chaplain for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Before that role he served for five years as the family and staff bereavement support member of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center pediatric palliative care program.

The Rev. Ignatius Okoye, OFM, Cap.

Catholic Priest Chaplain

Phone: 410-614-4155
Email: [email protected]

Rev. Ignatius Okoye is the Catholic Chaplain for the hospital. He is a Catholic religious priest, currently on mission to the Capuchin Franciscan Order, of the Province Saint Augustine, Pittsburgh PA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dominican Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ibadan, Nigeria ( University of Ibadan), and Bachelor of Theology from the Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, Nigeria (Urban University, Rome). Rev. Ignatius served as an associate pastor and youth chaplain for 5 years before relocating to the US in 2021. He completed his level 1 Clinical Pastoral Education at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2022, which prepared him for hospital ministry. 

Rev. Sally Pelinka Miller, M.A., M.Div., B.C.C.

Manager of the System Sponsored Clinical Pastoral Education Program

Phone: 410-614-4154
Email: [email protected]

Manager of the System Sponsored Clinical Pastoral Education Program for the Johns Hopkins Academic Division. Rev. Miller is an ACPE Certified Educator who comes to John’s Hopkins from Northwestern Medicine’s Central DuPage Hospital. Prior to her work at Northwestern, Miller served as a chaplain and Educator with AdvocateAurora Health’s Good Samaritan, Good Shepherd, Sherman and Condell Hospitals.

As a freelance writer and former music teacher, Miller draws on her experiences in the arts to espouse creativity and improvisation in both clinical and learning environments. During her time with Northwestern and Advocate, she regularly facilitated staff resiliency retreats. These retreats utilized poetry, music, video and other generative self-care invitations for play, reflection, rest and rejuvenation. Miller’s pedagogical and methodological approaches are informed by her acquaintance with enneagrammatic theory and complementary modalities such as guided meditation, engagement with the imaginal, as well as with labyrinths and mandalas.

Miller is ordained by the United Church of Christ. She is a published author with a handful of inspirational books and articles. She continues focused work and study in the field of complementary modalities. She is also interested in neuroaesthetics and trauma care. Rev. Miller holds graduate degrees in theology with a focus on Jungian theory from Chicago Theological Seminary, and in music with an emphasis in voice from Northwestern University.

Angela D. Palle, M.Div., M.B.A., M.A., B.C.C.

Palliative Care Chaplain Coordinator

Phone: 443-287-6361
Email: [email protected]

Rev. Angela serves as the Chaplain for the Palliative Medicine Program of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Before coming to Johns Hopkins, she served as Chaplain Supervisor for the Spiritual Care Department at Meritus Health, in Hagerstown, Maryland, as well as the Palliative and Oncology Chaplain. Additionally, she was the Visiting Pastor for Valley Assembly of God in Hagerstown and girls ministry sponsor. She graduated from Lancaster Theological Seminary with the Master of Divinity degree, and completed her Clinical Pastoral Education training with The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2018. She earned the master of business administration in Human Resource Management from University of Lincoln, in the United Kingdom; the master of arts degree in linguistics and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea, in Cameroon. Rev. Angela is a board certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains APC.

The Rev. John V.P.R. Ponnala, M.A., B.D., B.C.C. 

Family Advocate Coordinator and Surgery Chaplain

Phone: 410-502-7617
Email: [email protected]

John is the Family Advocate Program Coordinator and Surgery Chaplain, as well as an ordained Lutheran minister of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church of India. He holds a master’s degree in history and a bachelor of divinity degree from The United Theological College in Bangalore, India. He furthered his education with a diploma in the Ecumenical Movement from the Bossey Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland.

As a Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), John is deeply engaged in advancing the field of chaplaincy. He currently serves as the Secretary of APC, is a Member of the Commission for Board Certification at Chaplaincy Inc. (BCCI), and has served as the Area Certification Chair for APC/BCCI. In addition to his chaplaincy work, John serves on the Board of Directors for several nonprofit organizations, contributing his expertise to promote the well-being of marginalized groups and the greater good of humanity.

The Rev. Kat Kowalski, M.Div., B.C.C.

Neonatal ICU Chaplain and Perinatal Palliative Care Support

Phone: 410-955-7280
Email: [email protected]

Serves as the Neonatal ICU Chaplain in the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, providing care to the very youngest hospital patients and their families. She is a valued member of the pediatric team with expertise in perinatal palliative care and ministry. An ordained interfaith minister, Kat received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and women's studies from University of Maryland at College Park, and was awarded the master of divinity degree from Starr King School for the Ministry (Berkeley, California). The video Holding Space: Palliative Care in the NICU highlights Kat's work.

Rabbi Naftali Rabinowitz 

Jewish Chaplain

Phone: 410-955-8538
Email: [email protected]

Serves as the Jewish Chaplain for the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Rabbi Rabinowitz received his graduate level degree in Talmudic Law from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed a Clinical Pastoral Education chaplain residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2021, preparing him to respond to the needs of people of all faiths and religious backgrounds within Judaism. Rabbi Rabinowitz works closely with Bikur Cholim of Baltimore staff and volunteers to meet the needs of Jewish patients in the hospital. He was born in Jerusalem, Israel, a member of the Hasidic sect of Orthodox Judaism, and relocated with his family to Baltimore at the age of eight. He is fluent in English, Hebrew and Yiddish.

Rev. Tasha Brownfield, MDiv

Outpatient Oncology Chaplain
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Jabber Phone: (667) 776-6022
Email: [email protected]

Chaplain Tasha Brownfield, MDiv, the Outpatient Oncology Chaplain for the Johns Hopkins Hospital, provides spiritual support primarily in these Kimmel Cancer Center ambulatory locations: Weinberg, Viragh, Bayview, and Green Spring Station (medical oncology and radiation). Please send referrals for outpatient oncology patients and their caregivers via EPIC Secure Chat, Outlook email, or Jabber.

Tasha majored in Religious Studies and Psychology at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, and subsequently earned a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a Certificate of Ministry from Andover Newton Seminary. Tasha completed their chaplain training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, including a one-year chaplain residency. During their education, they were honored with the Minerva Prize at Seton Hill University for excellence in philosophy and ethical thought, and received multiple awards at Yale, including the Henry H. Tweedy Award for Exceptional Academic Records & Outstanding Pastoral Leadership, the Samuel H. Rickard Scholarship for Religious Studies in the Far East, and the Jim & Mary Ann McQuade Scholarship for Interfaith Theology & Pastoral Ministry Studies.

She is endorsed for ordination by the Unitarian Universalist Association and previously served as a spiritual care coordinator and interfaith intern minister in a New York congregation. Tasha has a particular interest in contributing to academic literature on the practical theology of Pantheism and exploring the most effective ways to initiate and provide spiritual care for outpatients, based on demographic factors such as diagnosis, religious affiliation, internet literacy, preferred mode of contact per chart, age, gender, ethnicity, and race.

Naomi J. Madaras, M. Div., B.C.C.

Pediatric Chaplain

Phone: 410-955-8542
Email: [email protected]

Chaplain Naomi Madaras is the Pediatric Chaplain for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Naomi has a background in sociology and psychology with a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a Bachelor of Arts from Guilford College. A lifelong member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Chaplain Naomi has served as a Quaker youth educator, clerk, and speaker. As the Program Coordinator for Friends Place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Naomi designed K-12 curriculum on service, ethics, and civic engagement. Chaplain Naomi is board-certified through the Association of Professional Chaplains and completed her residency at St Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Rev. Miriam Hanson Fairchild, Th. M., MDiv.

Oncology Chaplain
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Phone: 410-502-1500
Email: [email protected]

Rev. Miriam Hanson Fairchild is the Inpatient Oncology Chaplain for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Rev. Miriam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and Spanish from Augustana University, a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University, and a Master of Theology in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care from Princeton Theological Seminary.  She is an ordained Lutheran pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).  Before transitioning to full-time chaplaincy, Rev. Miriam worked and learned in a variety of Lutheran parish contexts and continues to support local parishes through her work for the Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA.

Rev. William E. Johnson, Jr. M.Div.

Community Chaplain

Phone: 410-550-7569
Email: [email protected]

Chaplain Johnson is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va., a graduate degree from Howard University, Washington, D.C.; was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree by Virginia University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, Va. (formerly Virginia Seminary and College); and completed his Chaplain Residency with Johns Hopkins Medicine. As the Community Chaplain for the Johns Hopkins Health System Chaplain Johnson works to improve community health outcomes by connecting faith communities to health system resources, as well as providing compassionate spiritual care to patients and community members on behalf of various JHHS entities. Chaplain Johnson also serves as a Pastor of the Sharon Baptist Church of Baltimore. He served in various positions with Maryland State Government for 33 years giving leadership in areas of equity, equality and integrity; and was serving as Inspector General for Human Services at the time of retirement. He has held leadership positions in several civic, civil and human rights organizations, and is the recipient of several honors and citations for his service to the church and State.

Linda M. Johnson-Harvey

Administrative Coordinator

Phone: 410-955-5842
Email: [email protected]

Linda M. Johnson-Harvey is the administrative coordinator for the spiritual care and chaplaincy department at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She’s received an Associates and Bachelor of Art Degree from Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary (State of Florida) and an honorary doctorate from the School of the Great Commission (Eastern Shore Satellite Campus). Linda’s diligence in support of department leadership, creation and implementation of department and community programs is greatly appreciated. Linda is the founder of Fragrance of Faith Ministry, Inc., and Hope Community Services, Inc., both 501c3 organizations that serve the needs of marginalized communities in Baltimore. The work is supported by a powerful mantra, “everyone has the ability to change community”. She is a published author, psalmist, and mentor. She serves as a Trauma Facilitator and Coach for the Trauma Healing Institute and is a graduate of the first Storyteller Group for House of Ruth Maryland. She is a facilitator/mentor for Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRE) and a member of the Baltimore City Public School Advisory Board. She has received numerous awards for her leadership and dedication to the community including the 2024 Chan Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (Atlanta, GA) and 2024 Global Missions Award (Woodbridge, VA).

Emotional and Spiritual Support

People often turn to a Higher Power for comfort and support during treatment. When you are ill, you may want to pray with a chaplain. Chaplains can provide emotional and spiritual support while you are in the hospital, by:

• Listening with respect and without judgment
• Facilitating discussion of difficult events
• Providing partnership in prayer
• Offering comfort in times of distress and anxiety
• Respecting your religious traditions and spiritual practices
• Supporting your family and friends

Religious Rituals and Resources

At The Johns Hopkins Hospital, you will have access to:

• Scheduled worship services
• Resources such as Bibles, rosaries, and Shabbat candles
• Sacraments and rituals (baptisms, blessings, naming ceremonies, Holy Communion, Annointing of the Sick, Sacrament of Reconciliation)
• Assistance with completing an advance directive/living will
• Conversations about end-of-life decisions