Anna Chaplains meet the Archbishop of Canterbury

On Sunday, the 15 October, our Anna Chaplain Rosemary Fairfax and I had the pleasure of attending an Anna Chaplaincy networking event followed by choral Evensong at Saint Peter’s Church, Petersfield and graced by the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

On Sunday, the 15 of October, our Anna Chaplain Rosemary Fairfax and I had the pleasure of attending an Anna Chaplaincy networking event followed by choral Evensong at Saint Peter’s Church, Petersfield and graced by the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

It was a fun and inspiring afternoon and evening, as we were treated to a session of ‘Messy Vintage’ in which we created Christmas tree decorations as well as having the opportunity to discuss and feedback our experiences of Anna Chaplaincy within the Diocese. In the past year we have become a strong team of over 40 Anna Chaplains with representatives in many Parishes and across every Deanery.

Anna Chaplaincy aims to outreach and bring comfort, companionship and ministry to the elderly and most vulnerable in our community, who may be of any faith or none. Practically this means working with care home staff to create spaces where residents can re-engage with their faith or discover new faith through prayer, music and activity. We heard from those engaged in this work, the stories of individuals whose lives have been enriched by this crucial social aspect of care, which, in line with Bishop Jonathan’s Vision, we aim to grow.

The final treat of the evening was to hear the Archbishop interviewed by Anna Chaplaincy founder Debbie Thrower. As well as discussing the ongoing disturbing events in Gaza and Israel, they discussed the UK’s Social Care system, the role of Anna Chaplains and the Archbishop's Commission on Reimagining Care, which reported in January this year.

Our thanks to the many volunteers at St Peter’s for making us feel so welcome, for the delightful tea and for the delicious, imaginative canapés they kindly provided to sustain us before our journey home.

If you would like to know more about Anna Chaplaincy or find out how to become an Anna Friend please get in touch with Rosemary, Canon Harriet or myself. I wish you all a peaceful weekend, Rachael.