Patricia Cadle, oncology chaplain at UNC Health Care's Department of Pastoral Care, has been named Chaplain of the Year by the N.C. Chaplains Association.

This award is presented annually at the association's spring conference in recognition of “distinguished ministry” by a chaplain “who serves patients, community and colleagues with grace and innovation.”

“Receiving such an award is both humbling and affirming,” said Chaplain Cadle. “The staff here is exceptional. I value our team approach and being a part of that team.”

One of her nominators, a medical oncologist, said, “If a new patient is beginning treatment, this chaplain is there to walk with them through the journey. She is a great resource in helping patients face end of life decisions.”

A cancer patient's caregiver wrote: “The most incredible meeting of the day was with the chaplain. She did a most wonderful thing for me. She helped facilitate conversation and extracted from my partner and me things that needed to be said for us to get clear on some of our concerns.

“It was a truly emotional, spiritual and therapeutic 20 minutes. She then said a heartfelt prayer which brought some much needed peace in a time filled with angst and crisis.”

Chaplain Cadle earned her B.S. in therapeutic recreation from UNC-Greensboro, her master's degree in religious education from Duke Divinity School and completed her chaplaincy training at Alamance Regional Medical Center.

She came to UNC Hospitals in 1998 and began serving as the oncology chaplain in 2001. She has been an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ for 21 years.

“The best part of working with patients and families is hearing their stories, being invited on their journey and working with them to make that journey a little more joyful, a little more peaceful a little more manageable,” Chaplain Cadle said.

“I have found my ministry here for the past 14 years to be both meaningful and rewarding. I am grateful to this institution for the freedom to provide a variety of spiritual resources to an ever changing community of people.”

Take and Wear closet open Saturday

The Take and Wear Clothes Closet located at Lystra Baptist Church will be open Saturday, June 16, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. offering free clothing to anyone in need.

There is no advantage to arriving before 8:45 a.m. because numbers are drawn to determine the order in which people can shop.

Each family can get two bags of clothes and everything is free. The church is located at 686 Lystra Road, off 15-501.

Fundraising fish fry to be held

St. Paul AME Church at 101 N. Merritt Mill Road will hold a Community Fish Fry on Saturday, June 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Plates are $9 and include fish or barbecue, assorted vegetables, hush puppies, desserts and a free drink. For tickets, call 919-967-3961.

All proceeds will support Project 2012 Building Fund for the new St. Paul Village.

Missionary Day Program scheduled

Haw River Missionary Baptist Church will hold its Annual Missionary Day Program on Sunday, June 24, at 2:30 p.m. The Rev. Linda McCrimmon is guest speaker.

The host pastor is the Rev. Dr. Junious Jones and the church is located at 1099 Mt. Gilead Church Road, Pittsboro.

Forum offers preview of anti-racism workshop

The 10 a.m. Adult Forum on Sunday, June 17, at United Church of Chapel Hill will be a 40-minute preview of the popular two day-workshop, “Racial Equity Anti-Racism Workshop” that brings history and a power analysis to better understanding the ways that racism lives in institutions and systems in the culture.

Interested persons are welcome to attend this preview or to seek further information by calling the church office at 919-942-3540 or email www.unitedchurch.org.

The church is located at 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.