To some people, spirituality and faith are often considered an important part of the health and recovery process, and the role of a hospital chaplain plays an important role in bringing patients and their families a sense of comfort and relief. For this “Giving Thanks” issue of Grosse Pointe City Lifestyle Magazine, we got a chance to sit down with Father Richard Bartoszek as he tells us all about his amazing career and his gratitude for the Grosse Pointe community.
As the Director of Spiritual Care and chaplain for Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital, Father Richard Bartoszek, lovingly referred to as Father Rich, always knew his true calling was to comfort the sick and their families during their final stages of life. “I started as a staff chaplain, and I ended up becoming the Director of Spiritual Care for over 20 years.” He credits his expertise in providing services to end-of-life patients to working with the Sisters of Bon Secours Hospital.
In his role, Father Rich provides spiritual support and emotional care to patients and their families in their most dire stages in life: performing duties like offering grief support and guidance, providing emotional and spiritual support to health care professionals, facilitating end-of-life decision-making, and yes, even conflict resolution between patients and their family members. He speaks on how important it is to provide a pleasant atmosphere for his end-of-life patients: “We want it to be as pleasant as it can be for an experience that isn't always pleasant. We want it to be something that we make as comfortable as it can be.” For example, the hospital is currently in the process of giving the hospice suite a facelift; they are even looking at creating a beautiful garden outside — after having the hospice suite for roughly 15 years. “Now we're looking at having more of a green area outside of the hospice rooms.”
Hailing from Northern Michigan, born in a little town called Manistee, which overlooks beautiful Lake Michigan, Father Rich actually started in the floral industry. “When I was 19, I opened my own business. I worked in the floral industry for 4 years of high school, and then I ended up opening my own at age 19,” says Father Rich. “Then when I was about 22 years old, there was just this something inside of me that God was asking more. God gave me what I wanted, a business, and it was very successful. But then God was asking more, and the seminary idea didn't go away, and I thought I would never make it. I thought I'd flunk out because I wasn't a good student in high school and was just average, and I thought I'd never make it through college and a master's program as well, and I did. That’s the greatest miracle!” Father Rich joked — and needless to say, the rest is history.
Father Rich also talks about his greatest blessing in life: the people he has met throughout his life and his gratitude towards that. “The greatest blessing in my life has been the people I've come to know and the people I've worked with and the opportunities I've had. Right now I'm very involved with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.” That's right, not only does the Father sit on the board of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, but in 2025, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the organization, a very prestigious and highly honored award.
He expresses his gratitude towards the people and community he has met throughout his incredible life and career, especially for the community in Grosse Pointe: “I think it was, for me, all about people. When I was in the flower business with my sister, my sister and I had a theory to take care of people the way we would want to be taken care of. So we went out of our way to be there for people at times of death, to be there at every wedding, and stay in the church and help people until they got down the aisle.” He continued, “Being present to people made me realize that maybe there was a call, that there was something more God wanted me to do than deliver flowers and be at funerals and weddings.”
Father Rich will have been a priest for 38 years in March, and for him, he is most grateful for the people he’s met. “I certainly have appreciated my time being in Grosse Pointe this many years; my life has been very, very blessed. I love what I do,” he said.
Last year, Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital named its Grosse Pointe Spiritual Care Endowed Fund after Father Rich — called the Father Richard J. Bartoszek Endowment for Spiritual Care.
Catholic Mass services are held at the Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital chapel Tuesday, Wednesday and Sundays at 10am.
Please reach out for help with:
- Resolving conflicts between spiritual beliefs and recommended medical treatments
- Handling tough feelings, stress, and grief
- Making decisions about end-of-life care
- Staying calm during times of crisis
- Communicating with caregivers
- Resolving conflicts among patients and family members
- Feeling emotionally and spiritually supported
- Contacting a religious leader from your own faith tradition
- Finding spiritual resources that speak to your situation
- Performing religious rituals (prayers, blessings, communion, etc.)