He'd been a plumber for 32 years before that.

"When you hang a toilet, fit a bath, turn it on and it's done, you walk away" he said.

Gray says life is extremely different going from a 9am to 5pm plumbing job to what he calls the '24/5′ - 24 hours, five days a week - hospital chaplaincy job.

There's no walking away from the hospital at 5pm if you're needed - or complaining that it's too early at 6am.

Being a chaplain at the hospital is like being on an emotional rollercoaster ride, he says.

"You're with one family who are really happy because they've got good news and they're walking out the door.

"You're with another family and the news isn't as good for them. You're riding that rollercoaster ride with them.

"I find it very hard not to actually personally get involved. It's how I'm wired that I actually do [react] emotionally with people.

"They're in tears and I'm in tears, so I know that I connect with their story and their journey."

Being a chaplain can be extremely difficult, Gray says.

"The most difficult would be where I don't sense I'm helping or making a difference in people's perspective of where they are."

But he's happy with his new role and is pleased to welcome everyone to the hospital chapel, whatever their needs are.

He says people from all walks of life and faith, even those with no faith, are welcome.

Gray says here is there to serve the spirit and people of Taranaki.

"It's worth it" Gray says.

Nonetheless, winding down after work is essential.

Sometimes he'll have a coffee with his wife. Other times he'll get out for fresh air and physical exercise.

A lie down doesn't go amiss either, he adds.

Source

• Stuff

The National Science Foundation, (NSF) which manages the U.S. Antarctic Programme, has announced that a steady decline in church-going at U.S. Antarctic stations means the programme can no longer support the services of Catholic priests through New Zealand's Catholic Diocese of Christchurch's Antarctic Chaplaincy Programme.

The Diocese has been informed that McMurdo Station will continue to have the services of a Military Chaplaincy who will provide interdenominational religious services and personal support to the population.

NSF has worked with Fr Dan Doyle, Antarctic Chaplaincy co-ordinator on the transition that will bring an end to a 57-year relationship between the Diocese and the Programme.

Recent years have seen a steady decline, both in attendance at the Chapel of the Snows at McMurdo Station and in the numbers of residents availing themselves of services of the chaplains, who are based there from October until February each summer season.

The chaplains have been aware for some time of the declining religiosity of the Antarctic population, and have had made considerable efforts to provide relevant and timely religious opportunities to the population.

In a press release Doyle said the Diocese of Christchurch "has been proud to be able to support this mission to the 'ends of the earth', and is grateful for the services of many priests who have had the privilege to serve the men and women of Antarctica."

"The Catholic priests who served in Antarctica have enjoyed the working relationship with the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Antarctic Programme, and the U.S. Military," he said.

"Many blessings have been received and shared, and the Catholic Church has been much enriched by the opportunities that this mission has offered."

Born in Fiji, he is of Indian Fijian heritage. He was ordained an Anglican priest and worked in parishes in Fiji before spending 8 years as a high school teacher.

Then he moved to Anglican diocese of Christchurch. He obtained a Bachelor of theology from Auckland University, a Bachelor of Nursing from the Manukau Institute of Technology, and worked as a lab technician before returning to pastoral ministry as the chaplain at the Mission to Seafarers in Auckland.

"I think I bring a cultural mix to the Waikato Hospital chaplaincy team and may be able to help with patients and visitors who speak other languages because as well as English, I speak Fijian Indian, most of the Indian dialects, and can also communicate in Tongan and Samoan as well," says Daniel.

Source

• Pacific Scoop
• Image: AucklandSeafarersCentre.co.nz

Outsiders could be forgiven for believing this service, with its homilies, its passing of the plate, its uplifting songs, belongs in a church.

If so, it's an atheist church without God — the brainchild of Harvard University's Humanist chaplain.

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He has already completed two trips to Antarctica in 2005 and 2007, as one of the five Catholic priests who work as chaplains to all denominations there during the summer season.

Fr Brian loves history and is fascinated by the relics from the great explorers, which are still where they were left on the frozen continent more than 100 years ago.

As well as holding mass in the ecumenical Church of Snow, he will offer pastoral care to between 1000 and 1200 workers staying at the base, no matter what their religion.

The summer temperature hovers between minus one and minus six degrees Celsius.

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As the chaplain assigned to the Italian rugby team which meets Russia at Trafalgar Park tonight, he will be quietly praying for a better result than a fishing expedition he took part in on Tasman Bay last Saturday.

Msgr Bell was appointed to accompany the French side during the Rugby World Cup after he included on his application that he knew a little bit of French. However, he admitted a fluent conversation could be difficult.

"My problem would be trying to understand what they're saying more than anything. I'm hoping they know quite a bit of English too."

Each competing team will have the support of a chaplain throughout the event. The Georgian team has had a chaplain for several years.

Source

• Wanganui Chronicle
• Image: Deccan Chronicle

"I am very humbled by it because I look around and see all those wonderful people doing wonderful things."

She shrugged off the extraordinary lengths she goes to for prisoners, including driving many of them across the North Island when they are freed. "I do what I need to do."

Source

www.Stuff.co.nz

Image: Wel-Com

School chaplains at 1,000 extra schools will receive A$222 million more. The significant increase in funding comes despite a High Court challenge to the programme on constitutional grounds and speculation prior to the budget that the future of the school chaplaincy programme was in doubt.

The school chaplaincy announcement was one of the Labor Government's major education announcements.

The $222 million increase promised before the election will provide chaplains for up to 3,700 schools until 2014.

Schools will be able to access up to $60,000 over three years to establish or expand chaplaincy services.

While funding is available to all faiths, most school chaplains are Christian.

The extra funding seems to have come at the expense of the "education revolution" of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Rudd's trade training centres promised to secondary schools face delays and the $2.4 billion digital education revolution programme has also suffered significant cuts.