Being accountable

I had my interim professional development review meeting with the Principal at Leeds Trinity today, Professor Freda Bridge. Each year we work out various objectives for my work as chaplain. Today's meeting, six months into the academic year, was a moment for me to demonstrate the progress that I had made. My first job was to remind myself precisely what my objectives are! I enjoy being goal-oriented, but, to stretch the metaphor, I have a tendency to take my eye off the ball. Hence the usefulness of the review.  Fortunately I have made a few advances, or rather we as a Chaplaincy Team have (I work with the Administrator, Mrs Domincia Richmond and the Assistant Chaplain, Sister Anne Hammersley, cp). There was one objective, however, which remained resolutely unmet: to circulate more on campus.

Like many priests, I think, I like a clear structure. If you ask us to administer sacraments, preach, catechise or listen to people in need, we know where we stand. In such circumstances, we rely on people coming to us. The fact that they do so is very affirming, though it has to be acknowledged that they are coming less often. In a place like Leeds Trinity there are lots of people who are just plain longing for a priest to have a cheerful word with them. I do my best, and I actually enjoy this aspect of my job once I get into the swing of it. For example, I regularly sit down next to groups of students I don't know at the lunch time in the dining room; I stand on the touchline on Wednesday afternoons and cheer on our sports teams; and I play five-a-side football with students (taking regular breathers in goal!). I sometimes think: shouldn't I be doing something more evidently missionary? Then, a student or a member of staff, perceiving that I am at that moment unhurried, indeed often at something of a loss, will start a conversation with me which leads to signficant things. Knowing all this to be true, I resolved after my meeting this morning to overcome whatever diffidence is in part holding me back and to set about circulating with a will. I sat down with a group of Pakistani Business Studies Masters students. "I hope that England trounces Pakistan in today's cricket," I said. We were away!