Rachael Ienzi is a member of the cathedral congregation and a nurse at the Spire Southbank hospital in Worcester. Usually she looks after private patients having knee and hip operations, but at the moment, the hospital has been taken over by the NHS and they have done over 150 cancer operations since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. Here she explains the importance of her faith in her job.
"I only came to faith three years ago after attending a Good Friday service at the cathedral. Since then I've become confirmed and it's become a big part of who I am. My faith is my strength and confidence, particularly at the moment. It's been really hard at times and wearing full PPE all day is absolutely exhausting. The first thing I do before work is a quick arrow prayer, asking God to support me during the day and praying that others might feel God's love through me. It helps to centre me and trust in God and his plans. If it's a particularly difficult day I might also go and pray during my break.
"People are very scared at the moment. As nurses we're not allowed to overtly proclaim our faith, but my calmness under pressure can make people curious and if I'm asked, I can explain why I feel that is. While we've been in lockdown, I've had a bit more time to think and read about my faith and it feels stronger than ever. All human history and character can be found in the bible and our current experiences are only a small part in a long story. Lots of biblical characters go through times of difficulty and they all come out the other side and grow as a result.Faith is helping me to have confidence for the future and strength to get through these times.
“My favourite bible verse is part of Micah 6:8 - 'And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?' I try to go to work and humbly do my best, helping my patients and supporting my colleagues where I can, accepting that it's not always easy for me or them in the current circumstances.”
