Melbourne Airport Chaplaincy team were extremely saddened by the sudden passing of one of their team, Chaplain Graeme McClimont. He will be remembered for his weekly visits to the ramp, bag rooms, engineers, cleaners and anyone else he could find to have a chat with airside.
Our deepest condolences are extended to his wife, Chaplain Helen, and the extended family.
We honour and are grateful for his more than eleven years of service to the airport. Rest In Peace
To all those in our chaplaincy teams who celebrated Diwali on the 24th October. We hope it was a joyous time with your families and communities.Diwali, meaning ‘a row or cluster of lights’, is celebrated by cultures and religions around the globe, with lamps, fireworks and bonfires illuminating the sacred holiday.
The 18th October was a very special time for the Frankfurt Chaplaincy when they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the chaplaincy. Fr Walter Maader, the first permanent Secretary of the IACAC, was the early chaplain at Frankfurt and still keeps in touch with the team there. An ecemenical service was held during which representatives from other churches and the airport spoke. Chaplains from around the world were invited to send short video messages to the Frankfurt Chaplaincy and share in the celebration. Frankfurt Chaplaincy are considering hosting the 2024 IACAC Conference.
Welcome to the Rev Hanna Similä whois working hard to establish a chaplaincy at Helsinki Airport in Finland. Hanna attended the IACAC conference in London this September and it was a pleasure to have her with us for the week. Many other chaplains established connections with her and we look forward to hearing more about the development of the Helsinki Chaplaincy.
The next meeting of the British Isles and Ireland Airport Chaplains Network( BIIACN) will be held at London Gatwick Airport on Wednesday November 16th 2022. As yet the final programme has not been finalised but they hope to learn more about the work of Border Force.
The Australian Airports Association National Conference and Industry Expo is to be held in Adelaide, South Australia from the Tuesday 15th Novemebr to Thursday 17th November. Mr Martyn Scrimshaw from Melbourne and Mr Gus Yearsley from Hobart Airport Chaplaincies have been invited to attend. Along side national and international aviation companies, they have been given the opportunity to not only have an exhibition stand but to make a 20 minute presentation on airport chaplaincy to those attending. What an opportunity to spread the word about airport chaplaincy within the aviation community.