Father Gregory Rapisarda approaches each hospital room with a gentle knock, a quiet smile, and an open heart. “Tell me your story,” he begins softly, inviting patients to share more than just their symptoms or conditions. His presence, humble yet unwavering, often brings a sense of calm to those facing fear and uncertainty. “Where are you from?” he might ask, knowing that in those simple questions lies a pathway to connection and comfort.
For more than 12 years, Father Rapisarda has been a beacon of spiritual support at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, on call around the clock. Patients and families can easily request a visit. When admitted, a patient can ask the nurse to notify the chaplaincy team, or a family member may call upon him directly. For Catholics, this often means an opportunity to receive sacraments; for others, it’s simply a chance for compassion and comfort.
Father Rapis
arda’s path to hospital chaplaincy was anything but straightforward. A Baltimore native, he lived much of his life in service to others, but through a different means: law. “I was married, had four children, and practiced elder care law,” he said. But in 2006, after his wife’s passing, he felt a new calling. “When Cardinal O’Brien asked if I was ready for the priesthood, I said I was afraid.” Father Rapisarda had spent years advising clients on their final wishes and caring for the elderly, but priesthood was a higher calling. “I thought it would just be a few courses, but I had to give up my law practice, move out of my condo, and live at St. Mary’s Seminary.”
The experience was one of deep transformation, and in 2010, Father Rapisarda was ordained to the priesthood. Shortly afterward, he was assigned to a parish. Then came the call to serve as a chaplain at Bayview. “It was a natural fit,” he said. “My background in elder care law helped me in end-of-life discussions and medical ethics.”
This unique combination of experience made him a trusted voice at Bayview, especially on the hospital’s Ethics Committee, where he helps families navigate some of the toughest decisions of their lives. “We’re here to help, to hold life sacred,” Father Rapisarda explained. “When someone is on life support, their families can struggle with guilt,” he said. “I tell them, ‘You’re following medical consensus; you’re not ‘unplugging’ your loved one.’”
One evening, he was called to visit a homeless man who had fallen into a fire pit and suffered burns on over 70% of his body. When Father Rapisarda arrived, the man’s eyes met his. “He looked at me and said, ‘I’m relieved to see you,’” Father Rapisarda recalled. The man’s pain was unimaginable, but his words spoke of a trust and a shared faith that brought him comfort. “The only place I could anoint him was the top of his foot,” Father Rapisarda shared, remembering how every touch and word mattered in those vulnerable moments. Father Rapisarda followed up with him, becoming a constant in his recovery. “Burn injuries are some of the hardest to heal, but this man had an incredible will.”
In another case, he remembers his longtime friend, a former rugby player, who had also suffered severe burns. “He’d lost both legs and his eyesight,” Father Rapisarda said, “yet his strength was indomitable. That discipline from rugby helped him push through recovery, and I was there with him, even in physical therapy. His resilience was an inspiration.”
Father Rapisarda has witnessed many such scenes of strength amid suffering, and his chaplaincy can often bring families together in unexpected ways. “I remember a father who was dying, and his children hadn’t spoken to each other in years,” he said. “The father’s last wish was for his children to reconcile, but the siblings wouldn’t even visit at the same time. Finally, when he was near passing, I went to each of them and said, ‘Your father wants you here together.’ They entered the room, stood by their father, and embraced. The son looked at his sister and said, ‘What took us so long?’” Father Rapisarda paused, reflecting on that tender moment. “That’s the gift of reconciliation. It’s something that suffering can bring out in us.”
In addition to the intense emotional work, Father Rapisarda has encountered moments that highlight the depth of faith within the hospital’s walls. A few years ago, he was attending a nurse from Nigeria suffering from a severe reaction to antibiotics. She was surrounded by her family through a video call, and even the Bishop of Nigeria joined to pray. “They all started singing, these beautiful voices from across the world. It was incredibly moving,” he shared. “Her faith and her family’s support turned that room into a sanctuary.”
Father Rapisarda’s support extends beyond Catholic patients. He serves all with the same reverence, often discovering that people of other faiths find solace in Catholic symbols. “A lot of non-Catholics ask for rosaries,” he said with a smile. “I keep a supply handy because they seem to bring comfort.” His approach is simple yet profound: listen, respect, and honor the patient’s journey, whatever that may look like. “Sometimes, I just sit and watch sports with them. Being there is enough.”
The emotional and spiritual weight of his work is significant, but Father Rapisarda approaches it with a deep sense of privilege. “People thank me for being there, but it’s my honor. I get to walk with them through these sacred, difficult moments,” he shared. He believes that suffering has a way of revealing something deeper within us. “I’ve seen people transformed by suffering. They start to see life differently, they make peace with family, they grow closer to God.”
Despite the many demands on his time, Father Rapisarda offers his cell phone number to anyone who might need him later. “I never feel anyone takes advantage of it,” he said. One particularly memorable set of phone calls came from a homeless man sheltering in a forest in Bel Air. “He would call me ten times a day,” Father Rapisarda said. “One day I asked, ‘Why are you calling me so often?’ and he simply replied, ‘They gave us this phone to call.’ It was just his way of reaching out.”
Father Rapisarda describes his work at Bayview not as a duty but as a calling, he feels blessed to fulfill. “As a hospital chaplain, I’m able to witness the grace and strength in each person, each family I meet. People are good-hearted, and I always give them the benefit of the doubt.”
For Father Rapisarda, hospital chaplaincy is a ministry of presence, compassion, and unwavering faith that connects people when they need it most. And for those he serves, his presence is a quiet reminder that they are not alone in their struggles—that someone walks beside them, offering solace, strength, and the promise of God’s love.
Through his presence and compassion, Father Rapisarda fulfills the Church’s mission to bring hope and comfort to the suffering. For those he serves, his work is a reminder that they are never alone and that someone walks beside them, offering a steady hand and the love of God.
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Hospital Chaplaincy is just one of the more than 100 ministries of outreach and evangelization supported by the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries.
Learn more about the Annual Appeal here.
