Welcome to York St John’s new chaplain

York St John University’s new chaplain has been officially welcomed to the York St John community.

Reverend Anne Rowley was licensed by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, at a special service on Wednesday10 December.

She was appointed as York St John’s Chaplain in September.

Revd Rowley (formerly Borthwick) was ordained in 2010 after studying on the Yorkshire Ministry course at York St John University and the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield.

Her background is in hospital chaplaincy and Anne was Quaker chaplain at The Retreat in York for 13 years. In 2012 she was appointed as a part-time Chaplain at York Hospital, with special responsibility for Bootham Park. Her previous roles have also included Assistant Curate in the Rural East York parish and a position with the charity Survive, which supports people who have been abused.

Revd Rowley described chaplaincy as her “first love” and said she was excited about the York St John role.

She said: “It is a huge privilege to be part of such a dynamic and caring community. Academic chaplaincy is very different in some respects from health care, but at its essence it is the same.

“For me it is about providing a spiritual heart to a community – where students and staff of any faith or none can find a place to be valued and respected.

“It is also about fostering tolerance and inclusivity, being accessible and always open to dialogue and friendship within a community of people from all over the world.”