Chaplaincy Vision

We have a vision for Chaplaincy in the PFCMAT for every school to have Chaplaincy provision from a team of Lay Chaplains, working alongside clergy and the Archdiocese to help all in our communities to experience God’s love for them which manifests itself through prayer, experience, opportunity and encounters.

We want every person to:

Receive a positive experience of Catholic education.
Experience the love of God through their interactions with each other, their outreach to the wider community, by understanding their own value and through prayer and worship.
Appreciate the special and unique nature of Catholic education, regardless of their background
Come away from their educational journey in our CMAT with the ability to make an informed and enthusiastic choice about their continuing faith journey

In our academies we know that each and every member of our community was made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and our Chaplaincy team ensures that every pupil, no matter what their background is, will know that they are created with purpose and with a vast potential to transform the world. We want all of our community to feel dignity in the way they are treated, with encourage to always do their best, and celebrated on their journey throughout their education and beyond.

It is not enough to love the young, they must know that they are loved.

Saint John Bosco

Chaplaincy is all about fulfilling the mission of the Catholic Church to bring the Good News to all, bringing the wonderful diversity and richness of our different communities together to make a difference in the world, beginning with the hearts and minds of the young people in our academies. We are stronger together, with a solid foundation of faith, uniting our communities and allowing our young people to have the best and to be the best.

I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full.

John 10:10

To fulfil this mission, the Chaplaincy will provide opportunities for young people and the wider community to use their skills and knowledge for the good of others, with a special outreach to the poor and the marginalised, as well as a commitment to care for our common home. We are committed to helping young people to be agents of positive change, building up God's kingdom of peace and justice.

Framework for Chaplaincy

The Chaplaincy provision across our CMAT will provide a supportive environment for young people, their families, and staff to discover and develop faith. We will provide opportunities for spiritual growth through personal and communal prayer, sacramental preparation, retreats and pilgrimages. The Chaplaincy teams, with the support of our parishes, are positive witnesses to the Catholic faith and innovative in bringing the faith alive in a relevant and appropriate way for our young people.

Mission & Evangelisation

The primary role of Chaplaincy is to keep Christ at the centre of all aspects of the life of the PFCMAT and to ensure that every person in our academies have the opportunity to personally encounter God and to put their faith into action by reaching out to others with love, prayer and practical support.
Through prayer, word and deed, Chaplaincy will proclaim the Gospel so that all may be helped to know the Good News of Jesus Christ and given the confidence to share it with others.
Chaplaincy will ensure that Collective Worship is an integral part of the daily routine, by providing opportunities for pupils and staff to be engaged, challenged and affirmed by prayer is firmly embedded.
Chaplaincy will build bridges by linking home, family, parish so that mission of the Church can be lived out in its fullness.

Faith Formation

It will create supportive environments so that all members of our communities feel that they can explore, question and grow in their faith. The formation of their faith will be based on the foundation of first enabling people to encounter God personally.
It will help people to see how Collective Worship and outreach to others, especially those in most need, are vitally connected.
It will ensure that all pupils are enabled and encouraged to take a lead in the Catholic Life of the school.
It will be inclusive and respectful of the celebration of other beliefs and faiths within our schools.

Development of Chaplaincy

To make this vision of Chaplaincy into more of a reality, the following areas will need to be developed:

Opportunities for individual academies in the CMAT to work together in resourcing and recruiting Chaplains who best serve their particular needs and the requirements of each academy.
Prioritising the position of Chaplaincy in the CMAT by having a Lead Lay Chaplain reporting to the CEO and working as part of the executive team who are responsible for driving forward Chaplaincy in the Trust.
Encouraging and enabling the development of staff and pupil leadership in Chaplaincy within each school.
Empowering staff in schools to deliver on the Church’s mission, especially as it is expressed in the diocesan vision for our schools.