Sheila Mark really enjoyed doing her Postgraduate Diploma in Chaplaincy.
As the chaplain of Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka’s Ōtautahi campus, Sheila Mark is very certain she has “the best job”.
“I seriously have the best job on campus. I love it”.
She graduated on Saturday with a Postgraduate Diploma in Chaplaincy, but has worked as a chaplain for the past six years with a qualification from a faith-based organisation.
“I really wanted to have that credibility that a university qualification carries with it,” she says.
As an example of why she loves her job so much, she talks about a recent interaction she had while grabbing coffee. She bumped into a tauira, asked them how they were and they said ‘not so good’.
“So I said, ‘hey, let's, let's duck over here and chat’.”
“I let my day order itself, really, and I think that’s the beauty of chaplaincy – being present. One of the phrases that’s often used for chaplaincy is a ‘ministry of presence’.”
Having a passion for chaplaincy and a background as a registered nurse in healthcare, means that working alongside the medical school suits her well.
“I know in the future, chaplaincy in healthcare will require those sorts of qualifications increasingly.”
Sheila says chaplaincy has a changing face.
”It is faith based, but, I think it’s changing to a much more diversified approach to spirituality in our life, rather than just religion and traditional faith as we know it.”
Sheila’s role sees her looking after a diverse group of tauira and kaimahi.
“I have a revolving door, just about, where many students are wanting psychological, emotional and spiritual support. Sometimes it might be for relationships breakups, bereavements or it might be homesickness.”
She also helps staff deal with interpersonal relationships in the workplace, a high workload, stress and life balance problems, and sometimes relationship issues.
“I find it a privilege to be there during critical incidents, and hold space when things are really difficult, and create a sense of ritual and sacredness.”
She spends a bit of time walking around the campus to build relationships, and enjoys the spontaneous conversations that come about as a result.
“Often times we know EAP is available to people, but sometimes it’s about being ‘Johnny on the spot’ and you just want to process whatever you’re thinking at the point.
“And then, it’s sorted and suddenly not so big. I love it. It’s pastoral care in it’s truest form.”
Sheila worked as a chaplain at Christchurch Hospital for a couple of years before starting as a chaplain at the University as well. She currently works for just the University.
She started her Postgraduate Diploma in Chaplaincy as a distance student in 2021.
She enjoyed the course, saying the grief paper which is taught by Dr Graham Reading “was exceptional”. Sheila was visiting her daughter in the United Kingdom when HRH Queen Elizabeth died.
“It was so amazing, Graham Reading took us through that whole funeral service with the Queen, and that was pretty exceptional learning which you don’t get every day.”
Sheila says doing the PG Dip Chaplaincy has been incredible and she would “highly recommend it to anyone who wants a career in caring for the taha wairua of others”.
Postgraduate Study in Chaplaincy
The study of Chaplaincy is aimed at enhancing chaplaincy in a range of contemporary settings, through the incorporation of current scholarship into the practice of chaplaincy.
Find out more