capellans

Capellans is the Catalan term for chaplains, the clergy who provide religious ministry and pastoral care within various institutions. The word traces to the Latin cappellanus, describing a priest attached to a chapel. Historically, capellans emerged in noble households and ecclesiastical settings and later expanded to public institutions, where they oversee religious services and spiritual support.

In modern usage, capellans may serve in hospitals, prisons, universities, military units, and other organizations. Their duties typically include celebrating liturgies and administering sacraments, offering spiritual counseling, visiting the sick, providing pastoral care to patients, staff, and students, and coordinating religious activities within an institution. They may also assist with rites of passage, memorial services, and interfaith or community outreach initiatives.

Organization and employment patterns vary by country and denomination. Capellans are usually ordained priests or deacons within the Catholic Church or other Christian traditions, commissioned by a local authority such as a diocese or chaplaincy program. In some contexts, lay chaplains may serve under church authorization or secular institutional programs, reflecting a broader approach to spiritual care.

Geographic usage: the term capellans is used in Catalan-speaking regions, including Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, and parts of Aragon and Andorra. The concept of chaplains exists worldwide, with the Catalan term corresponding to the English word “chaplain.”