What is a Chaplain?
A Chaplain is there to be alongside people in various places and situations, providing a space for people to talk, leading worship, organising opportunities for learning about faith, building communities, and referring people to more specialised support where needed. Chaplains can be found in our hospitals and hospices, airports, schools, colleges, universities, shopping centres, prisons. the police, the military and more, and are independent of these institutions. Some are paid and many are volunteers; in some places, the chaplaincy team is made up of people from different denominations and/or faiths. Chaplains can come from any faith denomination, often working within multi-faith, multi-disciplinary teams to assist people with pastoral and religious needs.
Chaplaincy examples
Hospital chaplains
Hospital chaplains support staff, patients and patients’ families. They are often trained in grief and loss, conflict resolution and more, providing services to anyone involved with the hospital who wishes to access them and travelling throughout and beyond the hospital as the need arises.
Prison Chaplains
Prison chaplains work with staff, prisoners and their families to support their pastoral needs in whatever faith they might be. Greeting new arrivals, liaising with multi-disciplinary teams, and visiting prisoners are just some of the duties carried out by prison chaplains, who provide a spiritual aspect to life for anyone who wishes to access it.
Airport chaplains
Our airport chaplains offer pastoral and spiritual care to travellers and the employees of over 200 different companies represented at Manchester Airport. Manchester Airport Chaplaincy oversees services of worship, Multi-Faith Prayer Rooms which are open for public use and Quiet Rooms where staff and travellers can access pastoral support. Our airport chaplains are also trained in faith-related aspects of emergency response and diversity issues, and provide assistance to passengers in need.
Chaplaincy in action
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Licensed by the Diocese as Chaplain to Oldham Athletic last November, Daniel provides pastoral and spiritual support to players, staff, and others connected to the club. |
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Prisons Week: the life of a chaplain During Prisons Week, we focused on the remarkable work of four of our prison chaplains, who shared their experiences of life in some of Manchester’s institutions. |
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'A View Behind Bars' - Reflections from a Prison Chaplain Revd Hilary Edgerton is a Prison Chaplain in the diocese, and she details some of her experiences in her monthly blog, 'A View Behind Bars'. |
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Revd Canon Catherine Binns is a chaplain at Royal Bolton Hospital. This essential work is aided by the chaplaincy office, and one very special companion: Catherine’s dog, Tandal. |
Contact our chaplains
You can find the contact details of all our chaplains here.