Jamie Agius
My route into being a Lead Lay Chaplain has been rather circuitous, but eventful so I’m glad to say.
After leaving Southampton Solent University in 1996 I felt called to the priesthood.
In a desperate attempt to avoid doing what I was being called to do, I planned a couple of surf trips, one to South Africa and another to France and Spain. However, God’s call didn’t cease, so I finally gave in to it.
My journey of discernment took me to the missions of northern of Tanzania where I was brought up, and finally into the presence of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Their ethos of working with children and young people was where I felt that I would be best placed. It was in this first year that I met my future wife Catherine. It was at that juncture that I decided to stop my training and return to university as a mature student to study Theology at St Mary’s, Twickenham. It was this return to education where I discovered the absolute delight in studying, reading and writing.
After graduating I stayed at St Mary’s to complete my PGCE in secondary education, which then led me into being an RE teacher in the East Midlands for 15 years.
The years spent with young people in and out of the classroom have been a joy, albeit one with it’s struggles. However, one thing (among many) that stayed with me from my time with the Salesians of Don Bosco, is that walking alongside the young in their faith journey, through their questions and doubts, is one that is good for both people involved; adult and young person alike.
That’s why finding myself as Lead Lay Chaplain for the St Ralph Sherwin Trust is so exciting, I get to journey with so many people towards our shared goal of creating God’s Kingdom.
