Who this is for

This guide is for priests and permanent deacons serving in the Diocese of Shrewsbury who need confidential pastoral, psychological or practical support. Bishop Mark Davies has been clear that the wellbeing of clergy is a serious matter for the diocese, and a consultation can be requested at any point in ministry, not only in crisis.

The consultation is not a disciplinary process. It is a private conversation with the Vicar for Clergy or a nominated priest, held in confidence, that helps the diocese understand what support is needed and how to fund it.

What the diocese can offer

The diocese funds a range of support options. The exact mix is agreed case by case, but typical provision includes:

• Counselling with a vetted independent therapist, paid for by the diocese.
• Clinical supervision for priests in demanding pastoral roles, especially those engaged in safeguarding cases or chaplaincy.
• Spiritual direction with a director outside the priest's parish or deanery.
• Sabbatical leave, normally three months, for study, prayer and rest.
• Respite stays of one or two weeks, often at a religious house, when a priest is exhausted but not yet ready for a longer break.
• Medical referrals and assistance with private treatment where the NHS pathway is not appropriate.

How to make a request

The route is deliberately short. There is no online form. You write or telephone the Bishop's Office.

1. Send a brief email to curia@dioceseofshrewsbury.org marked for the attention of the Vicar for Clergy. Two or three sentences are enough. State that you are requesting a clergy welfare consultation and give a phone number where you can be reached privately.
2. If you would prefer to speak to one of the Vicars General first, you can ask for Canon Jonathan Brandon or Canon Michael Gannon by name. Either will pass the request on with discretion.
3. The Curial Office will arrange a meeting within ten working days, usually at 2 Park Road South, Prenton, Wirral CH43 4UX, or by telephone if travel is difficult. The general office number is 0151 652 9855.
4. After the meeting, the Vicar for Clergy will write to you with a short proposal, which you accept, amend or decline.

Confidentiality and its limits

Conversations with the Vicar for Clergy are held in pastoral confidence. Notes, where they are kept, are stored separately from personnel files and are not shared with deans, parish priests or trustees without your written permission.

There are two limits on this confidentiality. The first is safeguarding. If anything is disclosed that suggests harm to a child or an adult at risk, the safeguarding policy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales takes precedence and a referral is made to safeguarding@dioceseofshrewsbury.org. The second is medical risk to life, where the Vicar for Clergy may need to contact a GP or family member. These limits are explained at the start of any consultation.

Sabbatical and respite

A sabbatical request normally needs twelve months of notice so cover can be arranged for the parish. The Mission Office and Department of Schools work with the dean to plan continuity for sacramental preparation and any school link. Funding is set against the diocesan clergy welfare budget and discussed openly with you.

Respite is faster. A two-week stay at a Benedictine or Carmelite house, or simply a week at a hotel chosen by the diocese, can usually be arranged within a fortnight. The diocese pays the costs and notifies the dean, with the priest's agreement, that he is on respite leave.

If you are in crisis tonight

If you are in crisis and cannot wait for office hours, ring Samaritans on 116 123. The line is free, twenty-four hours a day, and the volunteers do not need to know who you are. Then, when you are able, contact the Vicar for Clergy through curia@dioceseofshrewsbury.org so the diocese can walk with you in the days that follow.

Let us return to the Altar and the Tabernacle of our parishes in the joyful recognition of faith and prayer. This is surely the best place for us to start anew.

Bishop Davies' words about Eucharistic faith apply with particular force to the priest's own life. The diocese exists to support its clergy in that life. A welfare consultation is one of the practical ways it does so.