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 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. It has nothing to do with disciplinary proceedings.

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 the Curia Office (contact below) 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 to speak to a Vicar General by name. Either will pass the request on with discretion. Their details are listed below.
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.
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 requires action. The second is canon law: a situation that constitutes a canonical offence cannot be held in pastoral confidence by the Vicar for Clergy if the Bishop needs to act. Both limits are rare. They do not change the essentially private character of a welfare consultation.

Support that does not require a formal consultation

Not every difficulty needs a formal consultation. The diocese encourages priests to build ongoing support into their regular ministry:

• A regular confessor or spiritual director, preferably from outside the diocese.
• Participation in a deanery clergy fraternal or a national clergy grouping.
• The annual clergy retreat, which the diocese organises each year and covers from central funds.
• Informal conversations with the Dean of your deanery.

These do not replace a formal welfare consultation when one is needed, but they often mean difficulties are caught and addressed early.

Key contacts

• Clergy welfare requests: the Curia Office (contact below), marked for the Vicar for Clergy.
• Curial Offices: 2 Park Road South, Prenton, Wirral CH43 4UX. The contact for general enquiries is listed below.
• Safeguarding: the Safeguarding Office (contact below).