Pastoral care and church services

The churches in the Canton of Zurich are places of worship and celebration. Celebrations and church services make our everyday life richer and are an invitation to us to stop and reflect; they also promote a feeling of community and of having a purpose in life. However, our pastoral and liturgical activities are not limited to church life alone. We are active wherever people need us. Our key tasks include caring for people who are sick or have had an accident, and those who have contracted HIV, and also ministering to prison inmates. Our clergy and pastoral workers also help people in the following difficult situations: where they have lost their jobs; where they are experiencing difficulties in their marriages or partnerships; where they are having difficulties with their apprenticeships; or they are faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

326 clergy and pastoral workers

serve the members of the church. They conduct church services, listen to people’s concerns, offer solace, proclaim Jesus of Nazareth’s Good News of love and hope, help people in need, and visit the sick. They also receive support from a range of skilled personnel in carrying out youth and welfare work, and in teaching religious education. Special pastoral services are provided to people who are in prison or living in a refugee center, and to those who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

38 clergy and pastoral workers

work in 32 hospitals and psychiatric hospitals in the Canton of Zurich. Together with colleagues from the Reformed church, they attend to sick people and their loved ones, and support hospital staff. The provision of palliative care services is an area that is growing in importance. For this type of care, specially trained clergy and pastoral workers provide counseling and support of a spiritual and religious nature to the sick. People concerned can call the dedicated helplines, where they can talk about a whole range of issues without too much effort, and can also receive help and advice.

Learn more about hospital ministry (German-language)

95 Catholic parishes

exist in the Canton of Zurich. The parish is where church activities mainly take place: everybody is welcome. The parishes and their staff provide an extensive range of services. Everybody can use them as a point of contact, and they aspire to be a place for everyone to call home. This includes refugees and a great number of migrants who wish to take part in church services and other types of celebrations held in their own languages.

All parishes at a glance