The Spiritual Care Team

at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – New Brunswick

Rev. Christine Davies, MDiv, MSW
Director
Christine is a New Jersey native and an ACPE-Certified Educator. She is ordained as a Minister of Word & Sacrament within the Presbyterian Church (USA). She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University. Prior to entering chaplaincy, Christine was a counselor for addiction and mental health. She has led the Chaplaincy Services department at NYU Langone Medical Center in NYC, was the CPE Coordinator at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a staff chaplain at Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. Christine and her husband are raising two energetic sons.

Rev. Amy Fairbanks Seat
Manager, CPE Program
Rev. Amy Fairbanks Seat is an ACPE Certified Educator and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and is experienced as a chaplain in a range settings including hospice, behavioral health, a level 1 trauma center, and corrections. Originally from Texas, Amy and her husband met in seminary and returned to New Jersey after a few years in St. Louis, MO where Amy completed her CPE residency at Saint Louis University Hospital. Since returning to New Jersey, Amy was a staff chaplain, coordinator, and then manager of CPE at Penn Medicine Princeton Health and a chaplain educator at Morristown Medical Center. Amy currently lives in Hillsborough with her husband, son, and cat.

Apara Mahal
Office Coordinator Apara is a CPE graduate who has worked for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital since 2010. Prior to joining the Spiritual Care Department in 2018, Apara worked in the Emergency Room as a registrar. She holds a Master of Public Administration, Health Policy and Management concentration from Seton Hall University. She is the author of numerous children's books. Apara is also a freelance writer, artistic photographer and a recycled jewelry artist.

Rev. Ramon Orostizaga, MDiv, ThM
Spanish Speaking ChaplainNative of Chile S.A., Ramon completed his undergraduate and theological education in his home country, where he was also ordained in 1996 as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the National Presbyterian Church of Chile. He moved to the United States in 2001 and received a call from a Latino congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. He ministered to this Spanish-speaking congregation, whose membership consisted of people from various countries of Latin America, and their cultures as well as dialects differed greatly. Ramon took a break from congregational ministry after 10 years and entered Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned his Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees. Since 2020 he is Pastor of the Suydam Street Reformed Church of New Brunswick (RCA). He is married and a proud father of three daughters.

Rev. Jerrold Smith Jr., MDiv, BCC
Staff Chaplain
Jerrold grew up in a loving home in the south suburbs of Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Howard University and a Master of Divinity from New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Jerrold is board certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is an ordained minister with Baptist roots and an affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is happily married to the love of his life and together they have five beautiful daughters.

Rev. Fr. Bobby Varghese, M.Div, BCC
Staff Chaplain
After being born and raised in New York City for most of his life, Fr. Bobby has found his home in the Garden State, alongside his wonderful wife and son. Fr. Bobby holds a Masters in Divinity from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, and was ordained as a ‘Priest’ of the Indian Orthodox Church in 2019. This same year, he pursued a Fellowship in Palliative Care, and obtained his Board Certification through NAVAC (National Association of Veteran Affairs Chaplains). Fr. Bobby served in the Veteran Affairs Hospital in New York (Brooklyn Campus) as a Chaplain Intern, Resident, and Fellow. He then spent close to four years at Bellevue Hospital (New York) serving as their Palliative Care Chaplain. Moreover, Fr. Bobby serves in a parish on Staten Island, and is also appointed to oversee the Youth Ministry for all of the Indian Orthodox Parishes in both New Jersey and Staten Island. In addition to ministering to his parishioners and patients, Fr. Bobby enjoys traveling with his family, finding new restaurants to try, and watching his favorite New York sports teams chase a championship (with some teams requiring a lot of hope and prayer).

Chaplain Denise Wolferman
Staff Chaplain

Chaplain Denise Wolferman is the newest full-time staff chaplain, a proud Reform Jew and lay chaplain. Denise is a soon-to-be double graduate of Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She graduated in 2023 with a Master’s degree in Chaplaincy and will complete a Master’s degree in Interreligious Studies this fall. Denise completed her CPE internship at the VA in West Haven, Connecticut. After her CPE residency at Trinity Health of New England she served in the position of night Staff Chaplain for one year. A huge sports fan, with a bachelor’s degree in Athletic Administration from St. John’s University in NYC, Denise is excited to return to live in NJ full time and cheer on the Mets, Rangers, Knicks and Giants at home with her husband and three sons.

Rev. Karen Lewis, MTS, MDiv, BCC
Staff Chaplain

Karen serves as the Pediatric Chaplain at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at RWJUH. She is an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church and a Board-Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Karen brings extensive experience in Hospice, Palliative Care, and ministry with individuals with disabilities. She holds two seminary degrees, a Master of Theological Studies from Drew University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. In her role, she is dedicated to providing compassionate spiritual care and supporting the emotional and spiritual well-being of patients, families, and staff. Karen is married and has two adult children. In her free time, she enjoys photography, fly fishing, and taking spin classes.

Robbie Bendelius
Chaplain Resident

Robbie is from Upstate New York and holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. He worked at RWJUH as a first-unit CPE student intern last year and is happy to be back. He lives in Highland Park with his partner Erica and is on the ordination track in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He loves to bike, play strategy games, and bake in his free time.

Rev. Damion Parran
Chaplain Resident

Rev. Damion Parran received his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) with a concentration in Black Church Studies. He is a native of Washington, DC, but has lived and worked in New Jersey for eleven years. Before attending PTS, he produced diverse, socially relevant new plays on the East and West coasts. Damion earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Theatre Management. He attends Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, NJ, associated with the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey (ABCNJ). He is recently ordained as a Baptist minister at Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, NJ.

Jeani Dimech-Juchniewicz
Chaplain Resident

Jeani is a lay ecclesial minister in the Catholic Church and a Student Member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. She completed undergraduate studies in Religion and Psychology at Rutgers University, and earned her Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry at Boston College. She has served in campus chaplaincy at Rutgers New Brunswick, in parish ministry in the Trenton and Metuchen dioceses, and in chaplaincy with the Boy Scouts of America. She served as a Chaplain Intern at RWJUH last year and looks forward to continuing as a Chaplain Resident. She also volunteers with the American Red Cross as a Disaster Spiritual Care Provider, with a local hospice agency, and is a certified Resilience First Aid Responder. She published Facing Infertility: A Catholic Approach with Pauline Books and Media in 2012, and Homily Notes for Marriage and Family Life with Clearfaith Publishing in 2016. Jeani was born and raised in New Jersey, where she currently resides with her husband and three amazing children.