UH St. John Medical Center Says Farewell to Sr. Kendra

“One of the most rewarding parts of this ministry is being called to someone’s room or accidentally going into a patient’s room and seeing that God speaks. God allows me to reach back into my own life history and find something which reflects what the person is experiencing.”

Patients and visitors who come to UH St. John Medical Center in Westlake are touched by a variety of doctors, staff and personnel who make a difference in their lives.

The one person who likely touched more lives than anyone is Sr. Kendra Bottoms, Director of Pastoral Care. Sr. Kendra has been with the hospital for 18 years. It was a calling that followed a 30-year career as a biology, French and religion teacher. She also served as resident chaplain at St. Vincent Charity Hospital.

She was honored last Friday at UH SJMC with a retirement Mass, luncheon and reception.

Sister Kendra Bottoms, SND, served as a hospital chaplain and then Director of Pastoral Care at St. John Medical Center in Westlake since 2005.

“During 2004-2005 I was a resident chaplain at St. Vincent Charity Hospital,” she said in an interview with the Sisters of Notre Dame Network Newsletter in 2021. “Prior to serving as a hospital chaplain, I taught high school Biology, French and religion for 30 years.”

“When I first started working at St. John Medical Center, I was responsible for visiting each patient at least once, offering to call their pastor, seeing if they wanted communion, helping them finalize Advance Directives if they asked for help, and morning prayer over the hospital PA.”

UH SJMC COO Jonathan Sague presents Sr. Kendra with flowers at her retirement reception.

Her responsibilities grew along with her distinctive ability to touch both patients and staff. She received permission to sing prayers – a talent that became a daily touchstone as she sang ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ to one and all. It became the hospital’s standby call to comfort and mission.

She was eventually moved to the position of Director of Pastoral Care and became responsible for scheduling staff, Masses, religious events, making sure there were crosses in every room in the hospital, visiting patients in the emergency room if someone needed a pastoral care visit, prayers before meetings which she attended, and making sure all stick to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care.

“I did not decide on this line of work as part of my religious vocation. As everything in my life, God did it.” says Sr. Kendra.

She shares that a beloved brother died of liver cancer when he was only 40. “This totally broke my heart. I was involved in the Diocesan Black Catholic Advisory Board, and I met an African brother who suggested I try Chaplaincy. I remember stating I did not do hospitals, death or dying, but I did do people, so I would try. I did and here I am many, many years later,” she says.

“I feel this work enables me to demonstrate the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame. I love people, and I know how important it is to be cherished.”

In the end, as Sr. Kendra departed last week’s luncheon in her honor (which included tributes from many) she said wistfully, “This will always be my hospital….”