Prison, hospital chaplains reflect on shared ministry

The weekend event was hosted at St Francis’ Friary in Auckland and included presentations from those involved in the ministry of chaplaincy, as well as others with particular insights into the Church’s mission and the critical need of self-care and reflection.

Auckland Bishop Steve Lowe, who is also president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, took the opportunity to thank the chaplains on behalf of his brother bishops, as well as reflect on his own work in that field.

Bishop Lowe spent time unpacking the Gospel story of the Road to Emmaus as a model for the importance of accompaniment – a central aspect of chaplaincy work.

Fr Mark Chamberlain encouraged chaplains to remember that they always minister with and in the power of Jesus and to draw energy from Christ as they entered each encounter. He encouraged chaplains to look back on encounters and see Jesus’ guiding hand.

Tony Lenton, the senior prison and hospital chaplain for the Catholic Church, addressed the topic of resilience and discussed aspects of the psychological make-up needed to survive the rigours of consistent exposure to people in difficult situations.

Mr Lenton noted it was the first time prison and hospital chaplains had gathered together in this way.

“While there are obviously differences in the context of ministry, the disposition of accompaniment and love for the paihere (inmates) and whaiora (patients) remains something held in common,” he said.

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Prison, hospital chaplains reflect on shared ministry (NZCBC)