April 28, 2021 at 9:17 p.m.

Father Carlino wins COVID Super Hero Award

Father Richard Carlino has been awarded the COVID Super Hero Award from Ellis Hospital in Schenectady.

This award goes to any Ellis employee who has gone above and beyond the call of duty during the COVID pandemic, and who exemplifies Ellis’ core values of integrity, safety, compassion, excellence and stewardship.
Father Carlino, pastor at St. John the Evangelist and St. Anthony’s Churches in Schenectady and chaplain at Ellis Hospital, was recently profiled in an interview in The Evangelist for its “Father Figures” series and talked about anointing patients during the pandemic. (Click here to read the full interview).

He told The Evangelist: “The first call I responded to was in mid-November. I was frightened, especially since I had not yet been vaccinated. In fact, I must have anointed more than 20 COVID patients before I got both vaccinations. As scared as I was, the nurses assured me, “You are going to be okay.” Since I have been fully vaccinated more than six weeks ago, I’m now more at ease. It was initially difficult; but even though I was apprehensive, I felt good that I had responded to the Lord calling me to do it.”

Father Carlino was nominated for the award by Father Tony Green, Rev. Richard Moran and Rev. Derek DeJager, who collectively noted Father Carlino’s “courageous efforts during the pandemic.”

“Over the last year, many patients and families at Ellis found comfort with the help of Father Richie Carlino. Many COVID patients or their families would request that a Roman Catholic priest visit to provide Sacrament of the Sick (often called Last Rites),” the nomination read. “We chaplains always knew we can count on Father Carlino to come in - put on all the PPE - put himself at risk - and provide the sacraments as requested for patients before they died. Father Carlino is much more than a volunteer priest - he is an integral part of our pastoral care team and his courageous efforts during the pandemic have helped countless numbers of people in the Schenectady community.
“We think he is very deserving of the COVID Super Hero Award and we are very grateful that he has helped us meet the spiritual and the religious needs of COVID patients and their families.”