Chaplaincy | Page 37

RAF CHAPLAINCY
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT US
COMMANDING OFFICERS’ COMMENTS ON CHAPLAINS:
“ In all that he has done, he has been the epitome of a successful Station Padre, caring for those who seek his support and counsel in an unobtrusive but extremely effective manner. His hallmark is his strength of character which has been so vital in his meeting the many demands placed upon him.” is the soul of discretion and has elicited nothing but praise from the families who have benefited from his support.”
“ Finally, he has been a good friend and provided wise counsel. He has enjoyed my complete trust and features high on my‘ must take on ops’ list.”
“ Although largely invisible in the UK, the tempo of ops throughout his tour has been exceedingly high, and this has placed a tremendous burden on the personnel here. Add to this the relentless loss of life, punctuated by numerous Repatriation Ceremonies, the terrible injuries we have seen and the hostile deployed environment, and one can begin to appreciate the incredible emotional strain our people are living with. It is not overstating the issue to say that this Chaplain has been the outstanding shining light of understanding, compassion and humour for all those he has met; his altruism and resolve are inspirational and I consider him the finest padre I have seen in 15 years of ops.”
“ There can be few ministers of the Church who compare with him. I have no doubt he is one of the best, and most effective, Padres it has ever been my pleasure to work with.”
“ Our Padre carries out all his duties with the highest degree of professionalism, and is equally at home in the classroom, visiting sections on the unit, or offering pastoral counselling. Typically, much of this work goes on out of the public gaze, but it is there in abundance.”
“ The Padre does not shy away from a challenge and I was touched recently by the sensitive, caring and highly professional manner in which he dealt with a particularly tragic death of a young girl. He has a delightfully deft touch,
Bastion memorial cross made from empty shell cases, now at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire.
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