The role of lay chaplaincy in catholic schools : a case study approach in a Maltese church school

Abstract

Church schools in Malta have always had a strong presence of religious members of different congregations running them and promoting their ethos. However, in the past two decades, the presence of religious people amongst the staff of Church schools has diminished. In recent years, several Church schools have felt the need for the employment of a lay School Chaplain. This dissertation examines how a full-time lay School Chaplain helps the School’s Leadership Team in providing spiritual and pastoral care for the staff and students. It also looks at how the School Chaplain is helping to promote the school ethos amongst all members of the school community. The researcher presents the perceptions the different stakeholders within the school community have of the School Chaplain. The researcher shows how the School Chaplain is providing a bridge between the academic and the pastoral dimensions of the school life while ensuring that the ethos is not just a set of values presented in the school’s mission statement but a way of living the daily experiences in the school community.