“On April 29, 1964, our parish priest came and got my mom and me, and we went to the hospital. I saw my dad’s body after he was electrocuted in an industrial accident. That pain, being with my mom, the emptiness, and the questions of ‘What does that mean for us?’,” shared Rev. Francis T. Zlotkowski, C.S.C., had a major impact on his life. His strength to stand with people suffering devastation and loss is what brought him to the ministry of being a hospital chaplain.
For the last twenty years, Fr. Frank has been a board-certified hospital chaplain with Ascension Seton. Board certification requires a Master’s in Theology, four units of clinical pastoral education training, writing theory papers, and going before a board that recommends certification. In his role, he works with nine hospitals, two full-time priests, 16 board-certified chaplains of various denominations, 12 residents, and pastoral education training.
“I make rounds on patients on a regular basis in whichever hospital I’m sent to; I respond to referrals; I deal with end-of-life ministry; but I’m also doing training of students in clinical pastoral education who have little or no understanding of Catholic faith so that they can be alert to the needs of a Catholic patient and better able to respond,” shared Fr. Frank of the education work he is doing in his ministry. “I also recruit, train, and supervise communion ministers.”
At the request of the Bishop of Austin, Fr. Frank is also the chaplain of the Catholic Health Care Guild offering spiritual support to medical professionals.
A unique aspect of the work is connecting people with spiritual resources after they are discharged from the hospital. For example, one Sunday a man was being discharged and expressed to Fr. Frank that he was angry. When asked why he explained he was mad at God for taking his mother 15 years ago. Fr. Frank listened as the man poured out some of his pain. After a pause and no comment from Fr. Frank, the man said, “Thank you for not judging me.”
Fr. Frank inquired if the gentleman had ever spoken with a priest about his feelings. The man said that he had not, believing he would be judged for his feelings. Fr. Frank gave him the name of his parish and the pastor, encouraging him to visit a priest in his neighborhood.
“I see my work in connection with the diocesan priests, and I’m doing a specialty that allows me to work with their (parish priests) people and support them so that a person gets support here at the hospital and then when they go back to the parish,” noted Fr. Frank.
The work of hospital ministry is fulfilling and filled with many memorable moments of interactions with patients and families.
A special memory for Fr. Frank is an interaction with a young pregnant Hispanic woman who was not from America. The child was born with a heart issue that required surgery. One of the hospitals he works with specializes in open heart surgery on children three to four days old. Fr. Frank connected with the young mother, who was without family in the area, and baptized the baby in Spanish as the relatives watched with FaceTime. The child remained in the ICU for several months and Fr. Frank helped to connect the young mother with a local parish to get her settled and assist her during the difficult time. He was available to minister to the family during the emergency and provide resources for the support needed after the initial crisis.
Through his ministry, Fr. Frank hopes all the people he encounters know God is there for them. He is spiritually present with those who are dying and sick. On a trip to Texarkana, Texas, to see the eclipse a few years ago, Fr. Frank encountered a man at a rest area who believed they met previously. Fr. Frank was dressed in plain clothing and the gentleman was from Fort Worth. Upon conversation, the man realized they had met at the hospital a year ago and said, “You are that priest who was with us when my mom was dying a year ago,” Fr. Frank shared about the encounter. “I could not remember who he was, but something happened that made him remember me at that one time.”
Fr. Frank is an active member of the Holy Cross Community in Austin. He lives adjacent to the campus of St. Edward’s University (a Holy Cross sponsored institution) and is part of the communities of Brothers and Priests at Brother Vincent Pieau Residence and St. Ignatius Parish. Fr. Frank will continue having these special moments, making a difference in others’ lives. He is honored to serve those in need and plans to continue his hospital ministry for as long as he is able.
“I grew up in Connecticut where my grandfather lived next door and had 20 acres of land and a 300-acre watershed. I spent days and hours out there listening to nature and that sense of silence, that sense of deep beauty and prayer was really a foundational thing for me,” shared Fr. Frank. This understanding of listening and prayer, faith-filled family support, and interaction with Holy Cross religious in school were his guides to the priesthood and skills he continues to use in hospital ministry.
Published by Lisa Kochanowski, February 2025.
