THE P RTAL
May 2015
Page 22
Chaplains without Borders
Fr James Grant OOLSC works in the Diocese of Melbourne
Southern Cross
Station in Melbourne (population five million) is the major rail line for the
State of Victoria and combines transport for metropolitan and rural services throughout the State.
It has also become a major low cost shopping
exchange featuring direct factory outlets and a Virgin
megastore. The Station was awarded the Royal
Institute of British Architecture’s Lubetkin prize for
the most outstanding building outside the European
Union in 2012.
Underneath all this busy activity is another world
seen regularly by Station Chaplain Fr James Grant and
his pastoral associate Vinnie Azzopardie. This is a
world of lost children, drug affected adults, low grade
criminality, daily accidents and injuries, loneliness,
suicides and people of all different backgrounds just
looking to visit a big city or to engage someone in
conversation.
Fr James Grant notes that this is exactly the kind of
chaplaincy and engagement required in the modern
world. “Vinnie’s chaplaincy is based on the idea of
going to others, entering their world and their concerns
and bringing something of significance to offer. The
days of the church sitting back and hoping for the odd
person to come past our door are over.
This is a chaplaincy focused on others, without
evangelising, but firstly getting to understand the local
issues. Only after establishing this basis of trust can
deeper issues be voiced. It might not be rocket science
but the isolated and stand-off nature of many clergy
continues to see many of these ministries to others
fail to develop fully. Whilst there is a role for musical
and liturgical expertise, if you only do that in a busy
Chaplains Without Borders has worked out of modern world you will continue to deal with a small
Southern Cross over 10 years. It has a focus on those number of people. Chaplains Without Borders works
who are permanent workers, security, rail staff and because its focus is on the immediate concerns of the
retailers, but also deals with life’s emergencies as individual”.
well. Vinnie Azzopardie has recently commenced a
chaplaincy role with a focus on retailers, their needs,
Southern Cross Station sees around half a million
hopes and sometimes their complaints.
journeys conducted per day. That’s a lot of work for two
chaplains, yet there is no doubt in this workplace as
Vinnie has already become part of the furniture with to where the workplace centre can be found, whether
his joking and stirring nature and has quickly become you’re religious or not.
a ‘go to’ person for help and support. He notes, “We
could all do with a tune-up from time to time; most of
In another venture, Catholics in Business, Fr Grant
us just need an unbiased ear to bounce our thoughts tells us that the inaugural breakfast in Adelaide
off. A little push in the right direction and we realise attracted 110, not bad for the first one. www.
we probably aren’t that far off course”.
catholicsinbusiness.org
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