‘Lord if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done.’

(Martin of Tours)

The word chaplain comes from the Latin word for a cloak or cape and the word grew out of the story of St Martin meeting a man begging in the rain with no cloak. He then dreamt that he was giving his cloak to Jesus.

At St. Joseph’s we believe Chaplaincy is a whole school responsibility therefore everyone is invited to share their faith, gifts and talents for the good of all. It is our aim to ensure that Christ is at the centre of everything we do in St. Joseph’s.

Our Chaplaincy Team

Anne-Maria Manoj (Former Head Chaplain)

Our Chaplaincy team support the Prayer and Catholic Life of school by taking a leading role in planning and preparing our Celebration of the Word and classroom prayers. The Chaplains are also responsible for taking care of our sacred spaces around school.

As St Paul said, ‘I am a sacred space. Part of the Kingdom of God.’

The Chaplaincy team meet regularly to discuss and drive initiatives that promote St. Joseph’s ethos and our school values of being: Loving, Patient, Caring, Hardworking and Reliable.

In the School Chaplaincy Guidelines produced by the Diocese of Middlesbrough, Bishop Terence Patrick refers to Catholic schools as ‘Beacons of Hope’ where the Gospel can be lived out.  Through our Chaplaincy work we encourage our children to be beacons of hope for those around us. This can take many forms, including: our prayers for those less fortunate than ourselves and those who strive to make life better for them, the practical things we can do by giving to charities and the links we can build and strengthen between our homes, schools and parish.