Process for Becoming a Chaplain

ELIGIBILITY 

To be considered for an appointment as a Defence Catholic chaplain you require: 

•  Have a Bachelor of Theology/Ministry, equivalent or higher,
   
• Be a priest or deacon in good standing, released by you Church authority either for full time or part time chaplaincy,
   
• If applying as a lay person, you will require three references, one from you from your parish priest as to your faith practice, one from your current employer, and thirdly, a character reference,
   
•  Have at least two years of pastoral experience in an appropriate setting,
   
• As an ordained person, you need to be release by your bishop or religious superior from your current full-time ministry, or if you are seeking part time (Reserve chaplaincy) the Church authority needs to approve a part time Defence ministry alongside your priority Church appointment, and 
   

• Be endorsed by the Military Bishop or delegate as a suitable person for Defence ministry.

   

Meet recruiting and medical requirements for acceptance into the Australian Defence Force, which include:

• Be an Australian citizen,
   
• Meet medical requirements, and 
   
• Successfully compete the recruiting process through Defence Force Recruiting.

You may be an eligible for the Undergraduate Scheme or as a current serving member, for the In-Service Scheme foe Chaplaincy. Further information can be provided. 

Benefits of Defence Chaplaincy

• Competitive salary package. 
   
• Plus, superannuation.
   
• Medical and dental cover. 
   
• Vocational development and progression. 
   
• Be part of both a diverse chaplaincy team and professional workplace. 
   
• Opportunities for professional and personal development. 
   
• Use of advanced technologies. 
   
• Mix of various forms of ministry whether these be at your posting location, on exercises, deployment, humanitarian and community-support work.
   
• Housing assistance. 

TRAINING 

Initial Training on Appointment 

As a New to Service chaplain, you will undertake both initial single service officer training in your service followed common ADF chaplaincy training at the Defence Chaplains College. 

NAVY

• Full- time: The New Entry Officer Course (NEOC) is conducted at the Naval College (RANC) HMAS Creswell, Jarvis Bay. The course is several months in duration. 
   
• Part- time: The Reserve Entry Officers Course (REOC), HMAS Cresswell, this comprises four phases of training with a mix of residential and distance learning.

ARMY

• Full-time and part-time: As an Army New to Service chaplain, you will undertake the Specialist Service Officers Course (SSO) prepares specialist full- time and part-time officers to perform their roles within Army. The course is conducted at the Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon, Canberra. The course is conducted over 5 weeks. 

AIR FORCE 

• Full- time: Immediately upon joining Air Force, you will undertake a 12-week course Officer Initial Course (OTS) at RAAF Base, East Sale in Victoria.
   

• Part-time: Part time chaplains undergo a Specialist reserve Officer Familiarisation Course for six days at OTS, East Sale. The emphasis with RAAFSR (Reserve) is that you would undertake regular on the job training on the military establishment where you are posted under the mentoring of the Coordinating Chaplain, applying your pastoral skills to the military environment. 

   

Defence Force chaplains College 

All New to Service Chaplains undertake a Tri-Service Support Chaplains Course upon their first appointment. The course aims to train New to Service Support Chaplains in common core areas for employment, especially in areas of understanding and contextualisation, policy and procedures. The Course contains 5 modules. For Full-time chaplains, it is completed in the first year of chaplaincy. For Part-time chaplains, it can be competed within two years and can be undertaken in two phases. 

Prior to speaking with your church authority, or perhaps after any communication with your bishop or religious superior, you should contact with the Military Diocese. You may already be in contact with a Catholic chaplain. Monsignor Peter O’Keefe at the Chancery (0428 888 302) can give you further information and contextualisation on Catholic chaplaincy. 

As part of your initial communication with the Military Diocese, whether you are in Holy orders or as a lay Catholic, you will be invited to complete an ‘Expression of Interest and Personal Particulars Form’ provide some personal details, an outline of your faith journey describing what has led you to an interest in chaplaincy. The information you provide will be private and confidential, it will be destroyed if you discern later that military chaplaincy is not for you. 

You may already have spoken with your bishop or relevant church authority if you are in Orders. These conversations may take some time to develop to the point where he releases you for Defence ministry. Asa priest or deacon, your church authority needs to release you for Defence Chaplaincy prior to the Military Diocese or Defence Force Recruiting (DFR) proceeding with you application. In the case of lay Catholics applying to the Military Diocese, approval of a Church authority is not required but you will need to provide testimony that you are a practicing Catholic, have essential qualifications and the desirable qualities for Defence ministry. As an applicant for lay military chaplaincy, It is required that you furnish three references, one from your current employer, a second from you present pastor attesting to your faith practice and a third personal reference. 

Once the Military Diocese has received a letter of release from your Church Authority or examined the references attesting to your good standing and faith allegiance, the Military Bishop or his delegate will again meet with you to commence the formalisation of your application to Defence Force Recruiting (DFR). The Military Diocese will confer further with your church authority or referees. You may well have contacted DFR well prior to this stage and registered your interest. registration form

The Military Diocese will complete a document endorsing you for ADF Chaplaincy, stating that you are deemed suitable as a candidate for ADF Chaplain in one of the three Services. In the on-going conversations with the Military Diocese, a suitable Service will be determined, and if there are vacant positions within that Service, you will be recruited for that Service. If there are no vacancies in your preferred Service, you will be advised and invited to consider another Service. In the case of part -time chaplaincy, the service closest to your domestic residence would normally be the preferred Service. 

From the time you contact DFR, its assessment process begins with on-line contact, initial interviews, medical, psychological testing, police checks and security vetting. This makes sense as you are joining the Defence Force. This could take several months. 

Medical is a key issue. Perhaps there will be the requirement to obtain further medical information from your local GP or specialist. A successful assessment process will lead to your participation in an Officer Selection Board (OSB). The Board does not only consider you suitability for chaplaincy, bur importantly, its prime assessment will be on your potential officer suitability. Prior to the Board, you would normally be provided with a chaplain mentor from the relevant Service to assist you in preparing from the Board. 

If successful at the OSB, a Letter of Offer by the relevant Service will be issued. This document will set out the various conditions of service, obligations and other factors. You will be required to respond to this offer of employment within a certain time if you wish to proceed. 

If you accept the offer of employment, DFR will be advise you of the date and place of your induction (commissioning). The relevant service will communicate with you regarding various administrative procedures including ab-initio training. From the date of your induction, you will be a member of the ADF and subject to its authority. Congratulations, you are a member of the Australian Defence Force as a Catholic Chaplain. 

The Military Diocese is grateful for your service, it looks forward to supporting you within this vocation within a vocation.