CHAPLAINS, The Role of A Special Blessing to the Order

We are blessed and grateful to have in our Order the liturgical and pastoral care of 30 chaplains in Australia and New Zealand. As a lay religious Order which membership is almost entirely from the laity, our spiritual development would be poor and unguided without their gifts, love, time and experience.

All our chaplains have their hands tied with responsibilities way beyond their primary appointments. Parish priests take care of more than one Church. Vicar generals, auxiliary Bishops, Archbishops, and one much loved Cardinal are all stretched beyond many CEOs we know. Even chaplains who are retired Priests are not exactly enjoying any substantial period of quiet and rest in their senior years.

Yet, and especially in the last two years, we have received so much from our chaplains. They celebrate our regular Masses, lead retreats and days of reflections, conduct seasonal spiritual programs, write for our formation handbooks and manuals, support our Hospitaller works, join us on our pilgrimages, act as spiritual directors. They conduct our popular monthly online “Hour of Reflection with a Chaplain”. Two chaplains are active in our National Formation Team, advising and supporting the ongoing spiritual development that members are obliged to pursue. One Archbishop was generous to provide time to direct candidates preparing for membership.

Chaplains are essential to the liturgical life of the Order and the spiritual growth of its members, aiding “the sanctification of its members” (Constitutional Charter Article 2).

The duties and activities asked of chaplains are found in Regulations for Conventual Chaplains Ad Honorem and Magistral Chaplains (2011) (Article 5, Parts 1 and 2 and Article 6). They are numerous and demanding. We cannot expect the entire list to be fully discharged each year by any one chaplain. Our hope is that shared amongst chaplains, and over time, they would be.

The activities of our chaplains build the spiritual environment of the Order. This environment in turn inspires and nourishes the spiritual development of members and promotes their sanctification. Members would all be familiar with what the regulations ask of our chaplains:

• Celebrate Masses (monthly, feast days of the saints and blessed of the Order, remembrance)

• Participate in the liturgical ceremonies of the

Order (e.g.: investiture of new members)

• Assist candidates in their preparation for membership

• Assist members as spiritual directors in their ongoing formation

• Conduct religious education courses

• Join our meetings and pilgrimages (eg: our annual Lourdes pilgrimage)

• Lead retreats and days of recollection, especially in Lent and Advent

• Write short reflections on the spirituality of the Order

• Support / participate in the works of the Order

• Keep in touch with the Principal Chaplain, informing him of your activities in the Order

• Deepen your knowledge about the Order’s spirituality, history, traditions, customs and laws in order to assist and enlighten its members.

These are all abundantly evidenced in the life of our Order in Australia and New Zealand. We are blessed and grateful!

I won’t be speaking out of line if I were to end with this word to our chaplains: Collectively, members are blessed with a wide range of resources, skills and capabilities and will always be enthusiastic to be asked to support you in your needs.