Chaplain shows love across cultures

Every Generate and SU Australia chaplain brings a passion for loving and caring for the needs of others. But they also bring with them unique qualities that God has placed on their heart for their communities. 

Deema, mum of five and chaplain at two Sydney-based schools, loves connecting with people across cultures.

“Both schools I work at have different needs and different cultures, and coming from Sri Lanka, I’m really passionate about multiculturalism. I know how important it is to be culturally aware and sensitive.”

On her first day as a chaplain, Deema had firsthand experience showing love and support to families from other parts of the world.

She met a family who’d recently moved from the Congo. The father, Bonaventure, was on a scholarship, but his wife and children only spoke French. 

Upon learning of the family’s situation, Deema connected them with someone who could teach basic English. When Bonaventure’s wife and unborn fifth baby tragically died from an aneurism in 2019, Deema was called on to help once again. 

“It happened at home before they left for school. The kids saw the paramedics come and try to resuscitate their mum. There are no words for how awful it was,” says Deema.

The school community and the local Catholic Church rallied to help cover the funeral costs and so much more at the time, while Deema remained a key support person for the children at school, taking them through the Seasons for Growth grief program.  

“It’s been four years, and the family is still part of the school community – the youngest starts kindergarten this year. We have three beautiful ladies in our local church who go in and clean the house, prepare meals, wash clothes and check in on the kids. It’s been incredible to see how the whole community has gathered together to help.” 

Since that early encounter with helping Bonaventure and his family, Deema has continued to grow in her skills and passion to support her community.

Most recently, she leapt at the opportunity to be trained as a CHAT (Culturally Hearing Asking Telling) facilitator, and is looking forward to incorporating this SU Australia program into her schools.

“CHAT helps you develop an open mind, and shows you how to approach other cultures with a teachable attitude. I think it’s so important that we’re modelling these conversations with our young people.”

If you want to turn your passion for serving God in your local community into a career, visit startchaplaincy.com to view our latest opportunities in your local area and across Australia. 

Or to further this work in your local area, follow the links below.