Local faith leaders bless new chapel at Richmond County Hospice

ROCKINGHAM — Walkers along the trail at Richmond County Hospice now have a place of solace and a symbolic line to their lost loved ones.

RCH held a dedication ceremony Wednesday for its new outdoor micro-chapel, featuring a wind phone on the front porch.

Julie Woody, RCH public relations director, called the chapel “a place of comfort, peace and spiritual refuge for all those who are tired and need rest — especially for those family members and friends caring for and providing companionship for their loved ones as they navigate their end-of-life journey.”

The structure was built by Chapels to Go — a company based out of Cross City, Florida, founded by Carole Chapuis, Jacquelyn Hampshire and Karen Talbot — and funded through a grant from the Baxter Foundation.

Chapuis made the drive from Florida Wednesday to put the finishing touches on the chapel prior to the ceremony.

According to Chapuis, the custom-built chapels can be built within about 30 days and each of the team members has one at their animal rescue sanctuaries.

The idea for the wind phone, according to RCH CEO Kristina Leyden, came from an article she read about a Japanese gardener who set one up in 2010, so he could “continue to have conversations with his cousin who died of cancer.”

“He wanted his thoughts to be carried out in the wind,” Leyden said.

The gardener moved his phone to a public place following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, “so that others could also talk to the families that they lost and begin to move forward,” Leyden added.

“It’s a simple concept, yet profound,” Leyden said. “Placing a rotary phone that is not connected to any earthly system in a peaceful place where anyone who wants to talk to somebody can do so.”

Leyden continued, saying it’s a place where grievers can say, “I love you,” “I miss you,” and feel connected to someone they love who has passed away.

There were 242 public wind phones in the world as of June 17, Leyden said, with only 149 in the U.S. The one at the RCH chapel makes the 10th in North Carolina and the first in the Sandhills region.

“These are sacred spaces for people to reflect and heal their grief, a place where those who grieve can continue and deepen their connection to the people they love on the other side,” Leyden said.

Hospice Chaplain Paula Daigle said the structure will be called the Chapel of Comfort, or Comfort Chapel, citing several Bible verses that refer to the Holy Trinity as a comforter.

The ceremony also featured blessings from several faith leaders from across the community: the Rev. Steve Crews, Church of God of Prophecy, Hamlet; Dathan Bodie, RCH volunteer chaplain; Bishop Marvin Taylor, Outreach for Jesus; the Rev. Ron Schermerhorn, First Presbyterian Church, Rockingham; the Rev. Allison Farrah, First Baptist Church, Hamlet; and Father Fidel Melo, St. James Catholic Church, Hamlet.

Following his prayer, Melo sprinkled the chapel with holy water.

See more photos from the service below.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the number of wind phones around the world. 6:03 p.m. 6-20-24.