What does a chaplain do?
If you don’t come from a secondary school where there was a chaplain you may feel like I did about university chaplaincy. What is it? What does a chaplain do? How could a chaplain help me while I’m at university?
Chaplains are people of faith or philosophical beliefs who provide guidance and counselling to those in need in secular organisations like hospitals, prisons, military units, emergency services and universities. An Anglican Chaplain has been appointed by the Anglican Church to represent them in these institutions. They provide spiritual and pastoral support and to be a bridge between the church and those who belong to the secular institution.
How we can help
As the Anglican Chaplain to the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, this means I primarily support those with a Christian faith. But I also support staff and students who adhere to a different faith or who have no faith at all. Along with the other university Chaplains, I report to the Well Being/Student Support teams at the universities so I am first and foremost here for YOU. I am not a trained counsellor or an ordained vicar but I have worked with students for the last eight years at our church, St James in the City.
I love nothing more than meeting students and staff for coffee and seeing how they’re doing. Most of the time, students want a listening ear and may need some practical advice. If the student is a Christian person, I would encourage them to be part of a local church here in Liverpool and to be part of that local Christian community. We have a number of great churches in Liverpool. Find your steeple helps students find out more about local Anglican churches.
If there’s anything myself or my team can help you with please don’t hesitate to get in touch. My email address is [email protected] and my mobile number is 07453367202.
Written by Hannah Padfield, Anglican Chaplain at UoL and LJMU, part of St James in the City, Instagram stj_students
