School Chaplain
New Chaplain
 | Our new chaplain, Reverend Kate Carey-Smith was formally welcomed into the Marsden Family today at her induction service. |
Bishop Tom gave his blessing and retiring chaplain Rev. Rosemary Poland handed over the 'keys to the Marsden kingdom' in a joyous and moving ceremony. |  |
Deepening Spirituality
By the retiring Marsden Chaplain, Mrs Rosemary Poland
The question I am most frequently asked by Marsden parents is: “So what do you actually do?”
As Chaplain I am concerned with the spiritual formation of staff and students across all year levels and I am also available to support families.
My vision is to see Marsden continue to grow as a community which inspires deepening spirituality through
- Relevant Teaching
- Engaging Worship
- Personal Reflection
- Love in Action
Having a basic understanding of the Bible, as well as other relevant texts, enables us to question, discuss and explore spiritual teaching. The Religious Education programme provides a great foundation for this, along with assemblies and chapel services.
As an Anglican school, our worship follows the Anglican tradition with the Eucharist, or Communion, as a central part of the service.
We have introduced year-level chapel services each term. These services, along with the end of term services at St Mary’s Church, provide opportunities for students and staff to engage with a variety of worship styles and experiences appropriate to their year level.
Creating time for personal reflection is a challenge for all of us and yet it is an essential component to a deepening spirituality.
We provide opportunities for reflection in the chapel services as well as offering weekend retreats for staff and senior students during the year. These are really valuable times for us to step back from the demands of our very full lives and to re-connect with the deeper issues of life – as well as enjoying great food and having fun together.
The chapel is also open throughout the day as a quiet space, with a variety of resources available, where we can take time to pray and reflect.
As we deepen our spiritual journeys through teaching, worship and reflection, we want to impact the world around us in positive and practical ways.
Marsden students are very aware and well-informed about issues of social justice but are sometimes unsure about how they can make a difference to the overwhelming needs. We are seeking to provide a variety of opportunities at local, national and global levels which will enable students to get their hands dirty and make a real difference to the lives of those far less fortunate than ourselves.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to discuss any aspect of the spiritual programme at Marsden, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.