Riverside National Cemetery welcomes new chaplain as part of two-year pilot program

We are pleased to announce that Riverside National Cemetery now has a full-time chaplain to coordinate clergy services and connect Veterans and family members to grief support.

Rev. Caroline Flanders was hired as part of two-year pilot program to explore how having an on-site chaplain can assist Veterans, families and team members connect with grief support and clergy services. She is part of the National VA Chaplain Service, which has 873 chaplains across the country at VA Medical Centers and is the first chaplain hired to support a VA National Cemetery. If the pilot is successful, the goal is to place other chaplains at the busiest VA National Cemeteries.

Chaplain Flanders will provide ecclesiastic and bereavement consultative services, but she will not officiate committal services. Riverside National Cemetery is the largest and busiest VA National Cemetery. They conduct close 8,500 committal services each year and there can be up to seven committal services at one time. She has extensive ties to the community and can assist families finding the clergy of their choice for their loved ones’ committal service.

Chaplain Flanders is a Veteran of the United States Navy Hospital Corps (Desert Storm Era). A graduate of Loma Linda University School of Religion, Chaplain Flanders is ordained and endorsed by the Centers for Spiritual Living. She has previously served the local community as a licensed funeral director. Most recently, Chaplain Flanders has served as a medical chaplain for Riverside Community Hospital and as the Director of Supportive Care Services for Advantage Health Systems.

 We’re excited to have Chaplain Flanders as part of our team! Please call 951-653-8411 or email: caroline.flanders@va.gov to reach her.