Prison and hospital chaplains gather together
Shared from
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
First published 30 April 2026
Catholic chaplains who serve in prisons and hospitals spent a weekend together at St Francis’ Friary in Auckland, the first time the two groups had met in this way. Bishop Steve Lowe thanked them for their ministry and reflected on the road to Emmaus as a picture of accompaniment.
Sessions covered resilience, trauma, the Church’s teaching and professional supervision. Tony Lenton, the Church’s senior prison and hospital chaplain, said that caring for paihere (people in prison) and whaiora (patients) gives the two ministries a great deal in common.