Portsmouth NHS Trust Hospitals Chaplain vacancy
The Reverend Peter Ellmore, senior Chaplain of the Chaplaincy has been appointed to St Phillip's Cosham as the Priest in Charge, and this leaves three Anglican Chaplains who are all women ministers, the rest of the team consisting of ecumenical chaplains.
The post of Team Chaplain will eventually be made by the hospital authorities, but in the meantime, Anglicans have only the ministry of women which will not be acceptable to many Anglicans who might be patients in the hospitals.
The Team and the N.H.S. Trust are aware of this difficulty during the vacancy. Therefore any parishioners from the Parish of Waterlooville or members of St George's congregation who are in hospital should please advise me if you would prefer the ministrations of a male priest and I will take the necessary action for your spiritual and sacramental needs in the hospitals.
Those who are involved in the Sunday morning team of helpers for the chaplaincy, will also need to remember that from the end of February only women ministers will officiate at Anglican services in the hospital chapel, and you will need to tell patients being brought from the wards about the situation.
Recently one of our congregation from St George's was greatly upset at finding themselves in the chapel where the celebrant was a woman and was unable to get out again, because that person was at the front of the chapel in a wheelchair and the route out was blocked with wheelchairs!
Mothers' Union
Jennefer Higginbottom has decided to resign as the Enrolling Member / Leader of our two groups for personal and family reasons.
We are most grateful to her for all she has done over the several years since she was appointed and our membership has greatly increased in that time, partly with the addition of ladies from St John's Purbrook who have joined our branch because their own branch has closed down.
I have asked Mrs Yvonne Jones to take over as the Enrolling Member / Leader and she was admitted to office on Sunday 23rd February at the Sung Eucharist.
Vicar's Notes written by Fr Malcolm Ferrier
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page last updated 26 FEBRUARY 1997