When the Revd Rosemary Maskell moved to Norfolk to become priest in charge of Horsham, Spixworth and Crostwick, her new parish came with an extra role.
She is also chaplain to Norwich Airport.
“It was an exciting prospect to have something outside of the usual day-to-day parish life,” said Revd Rosemary.
For the past seven and half years she has spent up to a day a week at the airport, getting to know people and helping staff and passengers through difficult times.
“Naturally I had to go through all the security training but having successfully negotiated that I was given an ‘access all areas’ pass,” she said.
“My main role is to support all the staff, not just in the main terminal but across the whole site, including the tower, the radar room, the fire station and the workshop. As with all other chaplaincies, I am meeting human beings who have the same hopes and fears as anyone else and who often carry heavy burdens concerning their family situations. There is always a quiet space where we can meet to talk – even off the main site, if necessary for privacy.
“On occasion I meet travellers who need to chat or who have concerns, and it is good to be available for them too. I remember one occasion when I was called in to meet a family returning from holiday following the death of one of their group. It was useful to be able to speak with them before they left the airport and to be able to help guide them in that dreadful situation.
“I also act as a Responsible Adult for the Border Force and have been asked to be the escort for someone waiting to be sent home. That was quite a long and challenging day. Firstly, trying to communicate with someone who didn’t really want to speak at all, then spending several hours with them waiting for their flight and finally watching until the plane left the ground – making sure they didn’t get off!
“Although I wear my Hi-Viz jacket, with CHAPLAIN written on the back, I also wear my dog-collar. Most people are happy to chat, and some will even ask questions about faith, the Church and Christianity, especially after the death of a family member.
“Of course, it is a real privilege to be able to talk in this way, but it also important to be able to listen to anything comes up. Very often I am the only person of faith they come into contact with, so I think it is important that they feel they can talk about anything.”
And it’s not just for work reasons that Revd Rosemary is happy to have the airport as part of her parish. “I have flown from Norwich Airport a couple of times myself and found it to be very easy: no real queues, no long walks to the gate, easy parking and friendly staff. I would highly recommend it as a local airport!” she said. “It might be a little more expensive than some, but the convenience far outweighs that.”
This is an expanded version of a story which appears in the the Winter 2025-6 Prayer Diary, which has a focus on chaplains. See the full current Prayer Diary here.
