Vocational School Chaplain – School’s Own Reverend

When I introduce myself as ”the reverend of this school”, I get the first-year students’ attention. Heads are raised. A reverend in a vocational school. Are you kidding? This moment of five minutes is important because it lays the basis for future co-operation. Students and new teachers get an impression of the chaplain. Is he or she easy to approach and reliable? Therefore, in spite of dozens of these info moments I try to be present, as a whole and worth their trust.

I find it important to regard students, teachers and other staff alike as members of the parish for which I work. I share their everyday life, their joys and sorrows, and try to help with the knowledge and skills I have.

Message of the Chaplain

When I started my work at vocational schools I had to think thoroughly what my message and mission are. I think it all boils down to this: I am the mediator of forgiveness. People are more than just their achievements. They are valuable as such, not just future workers or second-level teachers. They have a right to fail and to get tired. They are needed. They are images of God. My message is not so much words as the attitude I carry when I meet my parish members. This applies for competition between schools as well. Everyone is needed.

Chaplain as a Part of Student Care

To be young has become more difficult these days. Some of the problems of the young are a normal part of growing up but during these years I have realised that for many the problems are associated with a feeling of worthlessness, shattered basic safety, lack of meaning in life and sometimes unwillingness to go on living. While the problems have become more severe the resources of student care have been cut or removed. That is why a large part of my working hours are spent listening to students and staff and trying to find out what is going on and what can be done.

Chaplain as a barometer

A chaplain enters a school from a different organisation. That is why they perceive better how people are coping and describe their observations. Usually the chaplain is invited to improve team spirit, for example to help in the group formation among new students (activity days in the church’s camp centers) or to take part in the training of tutor students.

Sometimes a team has difficulties in functioning, the atmosphere is flawed, rules are missing or someone is being bullied. In these cases the chaplain serves as an outside expert to map the problems and to find new solutions. The chaplain often has the possibility to take the team to a new environment and thus to enable a new viewpoint.

Chaplain in Grief

One of the hardest cases in vocational schools is the sudden death of a student or a staff member, through suicide or accident. In many schools the chaplain participates in creating guidelines for crises. I myself belong to crisis teams in many schools and I have taken part in their creation.

My task in grief is to help the community to process it (crisis processing) and to organise memorial services for the school. Rituals help to process grief.

Chaplain in Teaching

As a chaplain I don’t take part in teaching. I do offer my help when my expertise adds something to it. For example, when people ponder what to serve in babtisms, weddings and funerals I can tell them about the contents of these church events and behaviour guidelines

Questions of professional ethics are sometimes ignored in everyday life. Teaching may include philosophical ethics but what about the practical side. Sometimes I help students to ponder ethical questions and to find values to build their life on.

Chaplain Supporting Teachers

Teachers have it tough. You should be a mother or a father, a nurse, a social worker. In addition they must themselves study, to make curricula, to keep up with organisational changes. A chaplain can be the person with whom you can share your tiredness and troubles.

If the chaplain is a qualified work advisor they can offer support in that field even though many find it hard to ask for work advising. Work advising reduces pressures by providing new viewpoints.

In addition to work advising I offer staff an opportunity to take part in a retreat of silence. It aims to treat people in a physical, mental and spiritual way. Silence helps people to listen to their deepest needs, to acknowledge their own worth and to be treated by God in a most secret way.

Chaplain in celebration

Celebration helps to cope with work. Traditionally Christmas and spring traditions have been observed in schools. Taking part in a church service is often a part of these traditions. If the school members are going to church I plan and realise the service in co-operation with students and staff members. Spring services usually include Eucharist which serves as a basis for summer and future.

More and more often I visit a school celebration instead of organising a church service. They expect me to give a speech which offers insights for their lives.

Other events at school include gospel concerts and Christmas carol singing.

Every now and then a chaplain working in schools has the opportunity to participate in people’s private celebrations. Sharing everyday life together may lead to being asked to wed or to babtise. The chaplain thus receives part of their joy. Sometimes grief is present when it is a funeral service for a young person or their relative. Celebration, however, makes the chaplain’s work valuable and rich and gives strenght to everyday work.

Ulla Säilä
Chaplain for education environments in Oulu evangelic lutheran parishes (retired)
worked in Oulu in second-level vocational schools and universities of applied sciences