An Invitation to consider Catholic Chaplaincy in Prisons

Deacon Peter Tibke, Archbishop’s Advisor on Prison Chaplaincy

Following on from Archbishop Bernard’s recent Pastoral Letter on the Feast of the Holy Family and his comments about the Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope, I put this question to you.

What do a retired vet, a retired teacher and an ex-Practice Director of a law firm have in common? No, it’s not a joke. They are all now Catholic Chaplains in the Prisons of the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham. And we are looking for more people who wish to change direction in career terms and carry out the mission that Jesus himself asked us to do. 

In Matthew 25:36, The Passion Translation (TPT): ‘and when I was poorly clothed, you covered me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for me, and when I was in prison you visited me.'

In the Archdiocese of Birmingham we have 13 prisons from Stoke-on-Trent in the north to Oxford in the south, from high security men to women’s prisons, young offenders to foreign nationals.

We have approximately 20 clergy/religious chaplains and eight lay chaplains.

As a Diocesan faith community, we need to provide for all men and women in our care, an hour’s worship each week and an hour’s religious study.

We need to make a Catholic contribution as well to the general Chaplaincy provision across these institutions. 

For example, it’s a chaplain’s duty to visit those in segregation and healthcare units each day and to meet prisoners within 24 hours of their arrival in an establishment. 

In a typical week a chaplain’s duties would include worship and study groups for Catholic prisoners, plus assistance with generic Chaplaincy duties as part of a Multi-Faith Team.

Over the last five years the Ministry of Justice, or its private sector equivalent, have recruited Catholic Chaplains (lay or Deacon or Religious or Priests) in a number of those establishments but we need more recruits.  

If you might be interested, please email me, Deacon Peter Tibke, on [email protected] and I will arrange a chat with you about requirements, processes and potential remuneration.

God bless you on your Pilgrimage of Hope. 

The Jubilee Year