“Whether it is in Anglican schools, colleges, universities, aged care facilities, hospitals or other workplaces, chaplains nurture, guide and comfort people from all faiths and none. They are truly the face of Christ in the world,” says The Rev’d Canon Sarah Plowman
Meet Andrea Colledge and find out about her work, her unusual faith journey, what makes her nostalgic, what Australian Christian inspires her the most and what day she would like to re-live and why
“Stan was a stoic and grumpy old inmate whose head was always downcast, reading, writing, or doing crosswords. Whenever I drew close to the table at which he sat (usually alone), he’d make some disparaging remark about the uselessness of what chaplains stood for,” says prison chaplain Ken Collins from St Mark’s, The Gap
“I have been working as a hospital chaplain for over three years. It is a diverse, challenging and awe-inspiring role…As Chaplains, we work as part of the allied health team to provide holistic healthcare in the way of spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, friends and staff,” says Hospital Chaplain and Parish of Robina member Michelle Philp
“Although we mostly visit Anglicans, there are some regulars – ‘frequent flyers’, we call them – who benefit from visits, as we walk alongside them on their journey of treatment. The people I feel who get the most from hospital chaplaincy are those who have left their faith behind at some point in their lives,” says retiring Hospital Chaplain and cancer survivor Judy Burt
“My chaplaincy ministry is not always eventful, but it is always meaningful. In chaplaincy roles there are often big stories to tell and I have my own share of these… But chaplaincy isn’t always about the ‘eventful’,” says Air Force and community chaplain, Michelle Philp
“Prison chaplains help find ways to heal and restore our communities through acts of love, respect and sensitivity, and our Diocese’s dedicated Chaplaincy Ministry team is particularly passionate about this work,” says new ACSQ Chaplaincy Services Manager Andrea Colledge
“When I arrived at the evacuation point, I found Fr Dan Talbot talking to a Police Inspector – the police had decided to form a convoy of police and public vehicles to bring everyone down the mountain safely, and we were just waiting for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to give them the okay,” says police chaplain Jane Vines, who served in the recent bushfire crisis
“St Martin of Tours has a long and celebrated history with chaplaincy – mostly originating from an anecdotal story regarding his cloak, or cappella, from which the word ‘chaplaincy’ is derived,” says Chaplaincy Services Manager Andrea Colledge, as St Martin is commemorated on 11 November
Dressed in black clerical shirts and fluorescent tabards emblazoned “Faith Team”, Archbishops Welby and Cottrell were among the Anglican priests to join faith leaders from other denominations and religions in a chaplaincy team serving the queue of people waiting to see the Queen lying in state