A hospital chaplain was joined by members of the church, healthcare colleagues and members of the community as part of a special service to officially accept her licence.
Jane Easterby has worked as a hospital chaplain at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust since May 2019 and was ordained in June 2019.
As a newly ordained member of the clergy, Jane was attached to a local Church of England parish, as a curate, alongside working for the trust as a chaplain. As Jane completed her time as a curate this summer, she could now be licensed as the Anglican Chaplain in the trust.
The special common worship licensing service was led by the Archdeacon of Auckland, the venerable Rick Simpson and attended by Revd. Paul Neville of Holy Trinity with St. Mark in Fairfield and congregation members from Holy Trinity with St Mark and St Mary’s and St Michael’s in Norton.
Archdeacon Rick welcomed everyone to the service, which included hymns, a reading and sermon as well as the all-important declaration of assent by Jane, who formally accepted and signed her licence.
The Archdeacon of Auckland, Rick Simpson said: “Hospitals are inescapably bodily places full of human beings, with often very anxious minds and hearts. And in the midst of this, Jane is here, present. Jane cannot be replaced by Gideon Bibles by the bedside.
“It’s a pleasure to have been invited here today. It’s such a powerful thing to have a community gathered here to celebrate Jane’s licencing and to acknowledge the importance of the contribution she makes to support patients in need.”
Trust colleagues and group chief executive Stacey Hunter were also in attendance to celebrate the important milestone.
Stacey, who spoke at the service, said: “I’ve worked in the NHS for many years and during that time have seen first-hand the profound difference that chaplains make in supporting patients, their families and staff.
“Chaplaincy do an incredible job, working often during a difficult situation to provide comfort, with sensitivity, to others day after day. I hope Jane is really proud of the work she does and it’s so well deserved to get to this point and to be celebrating her licensing with her.”
Jane’s journey to ordination began over 20 years ago after having a varied career which began within international sales in the textile industry and teaching in academia, before working for some time as the warden/director of Shepherds Dene Retreat House in Northumberland, finally being accepted for the ordination training programme in 2017.
Jane said: “My journey to this point has been many years in the making. So to have been ordained and to have found my place working within the hospital is to finally be where I feel God wants me to be.
“It’s been a lovely day celebrating this milestone with my family, friends, trust colleagues and members of my church’s congregation.
“I feel a profound sense of calling to work with patients at the end of life, and their families. It can be the most difficult of jobs and the most challenging, but is a great privilege and also immensely rewarding.”