Reflections
“I smiled and sat down, placing the chaplaincy resources onto the bolted-down table in the prison unit. Several women then quickly made their way over, variously asking me, ‘Can you pray for my court appearance to go well next week, please, Miss?’ and ‘Can you pray for my children and for my sick mum?’,” says chaplain Jude Markland
Spotlight Q&A
Meet Marilyn Wright and find out what she learnt during her recent trip to Africa, what she is doing in the lead up to the federal election with the Queensland Community Alliance, what person of faith inspires her the most, what she would write on a billboard and about her unique faith journey
“A tall intimidating-looking man was walking towards me. His head was shaved and tattooed. I remained motionless, rooted to the spot. As he passed me, he whispered, ‘God bless’,” says Cheryl Courtice on her early prison chaplaincy experience
“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
“Eliza Darling’s strong practical faith and her refusal to give up on those whom society had given up would make her a very good prison chaplain if she were alive today,” says ACSQ prison chaplain The Rev’d Sue Barker on trailblazing social reformer Lady Eliza Darling, who is commemorated in our Lectionary on 3 September
“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
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