Reflections
on my placement at St. Michael's Croydon
I
can almost hardly believe I'm already approaching the end of my
placement as a Pastoral Assistant at St. Michael's Croydon. How time
flies when you're having fun! I have had a truly wonderful placement
here, which has been instrumental in my pastoral, sacramental and
academic formation – both in the Church and in the wider community.
The
sacramental life at St. Michael's is firmly rooted in the Catholic
tradition of the Church of England, characterised by our daily
routine of Morning Prayer, Mass and Evening Prayer. I am involved in
all of these services – often either as a reader, server, or
leader, as well as helping to keep the Church open for our many
guests who visit us throughout the day between services. I have found
our prayer and worship very helpful; perhaps collectively the
heartbeat of the Church's sacramental life, this has provided me with
a spiritual anchor and consistency, which I practise both at work and
on holiday. I feel this perfectly compliments all the various other
activities I am involved in throughout my week. Moreover, we have
also made two visits to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (on the
National and Adoremus Pilgrimages); these have both helped to further
foster my spirituality and devotion, and I have particularly enjoyed
meeting more people from the wider Catholic tradition from across the
country.
Croydon
is one of the most diverse regions in the country; it is home to
people from many different countries and cultures. However, it is
also one of the most deprived regions – and, as visibly committed
Christians in the community, at St. Michael's we believe a vital
aspect of our ministry is in accompanying and aiding others in
relieving their poverty as best as we can. As part of my placement, I
have volunteered at a winter night shelter for those who are
homeless, and I also volunteer every week at Croydon's Refugee Day
Centre, meeting and helping refugees from all over the world.
Furthermore, I work as a Chaplain at Croydon College, a diverse
school of several thousand students where I have established a chess
club for people of all levels of experience at the game. Many of our
students are also refugees; and my chess club, as well as providing a
fun and educational activity for those who attend, also helps to give
a much-needed confidence boost to those who are not yet as proficient
in English as some of their friends. Moreover, I am a Chaplain at
Croydon University Hospital, visiting both patients and staff around
the Hospital. I have felt this to be a crucial aspect of my
placement; many of the people I meet on a regular basis have
experienced all kinds of loss; and yet, they often still display an
inspirational degree of hope. To be able to do my part in playing a
role in their journeys helps me just as much as it helps them.
Alongside
these pastoral and sacramental aspects, there has been a distinctly
academic character to my placement. St. Michael's has been one of the
most academically-focused Churches I have served in to date; this has
particularly appealed to me, having studied theology at university.
Our studies have been largely focused on various elements central to
the Christian faith; the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, and the
Saints and Sacraments. Engaging with a variety of ancient and modern
texts (from St. Athanasius and Melito of Sardis, to the former
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI) has provided me with a great sense of the consistency in the
development of the Church's understanding of doctrine. I have
particularly valued the variety in ways and mediums we have explored
these Christian texts and doctrines; be it by seminars with the
priests at St. Michael's and the Archdeacon of Hastings, or viewing
and examining beautiful Christian artworks and artefacts at the
National Gallery in London each term with one of the Curators there.
I have both furthered and expanded my theological repertoire during
my time at St. Michael's, in the spirit of St. Anselm's motto of
“faith
seeking understanding.”
As well as for myself, I relish any opportunity to apply my
theological learning and understanding to help other Christians on
their journeys – and offering presentations to parishioners in
study groups (such as our weekly Catechesis
series
in Church, which are open to all) gives us the perfect chance to help
others around us to explore more about our faith.
My
placement at St. Michael's Croydon has been absolutely invaluable to
me. I feel incredibly lucky to enjoy the experiences I have gained,
and to have journeyed with the priests, my fellow Pastoral Assistant,
and everyone else here. The placement has been vital for my
vocational discernment, and particularly for the successful result I
attained from my Bishops' Advisory Panel when I was formally
recommended to train for ordained ministry. My year at St. Michael's
has equipped me brilliantly, as I continue my journey towards further
training and formation for ordination. I am immensely grateful to
everyone who has helped make this placement possible for me – to
those who pray for me, to those who mentor me, and to those who have
funded the placement to make it financially possible.
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