What a Chaplain Looks Like

Mary Chao is an emerging interfaith chaplain based in Houston, Texas, committed to compassionate, creative spiritual care. Informed by a wide range of faith traditions, her work bridges diverse spiritual expressions with curiosity and reverence. She is currently pursuing Clinical Pastoral Education while exploring pathways toward formal chaplaincy in her MDiv studies at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. With a focus on Midwifery-informed Perinatal care and Therapeutic Bodywork, Mary supports individuals and families through birth, loss, and transition. Her approach integrates somatics, mindfulness, and narrative chaplaincy, alongside a grounding in social justice, reflecting a belief that spiritual care should be accessible, embodied, and responsive to the realities of modern life for all communities she serves.