Prison Chaplain at the Church of Sweden Västerås

A priest's mission where you meet people in both vulnerability and in life's significant moments – in sorrow, hope, and joy.

As a prison chaplain, you are a present companion behind the walls – someone to talk to and be guided by. You meet people in life's toughest moments, provide spiritual support, and convey hope. The assignment at the prison is combined with classic priest duties in the parish. Here, you become part of an engaged team and can make a difference – every day. Welcome to apply for the position of prison chaplain at the Church of Sweden Västerås!

One half of this position is located at Tillberga Prison. There, you meet clients in both services and in conversations and other activities. You are part of an ecumenical and interreligious team and also collaborate with the correctional staff. In the other half of the position, you work as an assistant minister focusing on church services and ceremonies.

This is how our former prison chaplain Monica describes the work at the prison:

“I have always felt welcome and awaited at the prison. Wherever I go, there are those who want to talk to me, in passing or in a private conversation. Many need me to be a companion in their process, from shame and guilt to better well-being.”

In the parish part of the position, you belong to the Norrbo-Tillberga team, which consists of about 14 people, but you serve in the entire northern area of the parish. The team is led by a unit manager who is your immediate supervisor. The northern area consists of five parishes, about 40 employees, and is led by a pastoral area manager. You collaborate with colleagues both within the northern area and across the parish. You are welcomed into a team that values good relationships and community and operates in an environment with several medieval churches, popular for church ceremonies!

To apply for the position, we want you to be ordained as a priest in the Church of Sweden. We would like you to have in-depth experience of pastoral conversations and a pastoral care education. If you do not yet have a pastoral care education, we are open to the possibility of you completing one after you start the position, so that you can grow in your role. We consider it an advantage if you have experience in institutional pastoral care, particularly in work within correctional and probation services or similar, but it is not a requirement. A driver's license and access to a car are required, as well as good knowledge of Swedish and English. We also want you to have basic IT skills and an ecumenical and interreligious approach.

To thrive in the role, we believe you are someone who works well with others while taking responsibility for your tasks and driving your processes forward independently. You are outgoing and socially active in professional contexts and have a good ability to create and maintain relationships. We also believe you can easily adapt to new circumstances, see opportunities in changes, and have innovative thinking that is put into practice and leads to results. Finally, you are secure and stable in yourself as well as in your faith. You have the ability to see relationships in their proper perspective, distinguish between the personal and the professional, and adapt based on the situation.

The position is a permanent employment with 100% working hours, where both day, evening, and weekend work occurs. Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability.

In this position, we apply psychological tests as part of the selection process.

If you have any questions about the position, you are welcome to contact any of us listed at the bottom of the advertisement. Warm welcome with your application!

About Tillberga Prison:

Tillberga Prison has about 240 places in security class 3. The prison can offer an attractive environment with a well-functioning program and valuable employment with the factory that employs the clients.

The Christian Council of Sweden (SKR) coordinates the activities with pastoral care and church services within Swedish correctional services, and at each prison, there is a board for spiritual care (NAV). All future NAV employees must undergo a security check by the Security Police. For more information about NAV, see www.skr.org (http://www.skr.org)

About the Church of Sweden Västerås

The Church of Sweden Västerås has about 78,000 members. Here, around 230 dedicated employees work, all part of a resourceful modern organization with good conditions, excellent development opportunities, and great benefits. Here, you will have many colleagues and many meetings and contacts with other people through our various activities. We who work here are present in 26 churches and 23 cemeteries but also around the community.

Within the Church of Sweden Västerås, there are many different professions. Perhaps you primarily think of our profile professions, priests, deacons, church musicians, and parish educators, but there are also caretakers, cemetery workers, communicators, economists, and many others who all have different backgrounds. You do not need to be a member of the Church of Sweden or be a believer to work with us, unless you work within one of the profile professions. However, you must share our fundamental values based on the Christian faith.

When you choose to work with us, you contribute to creating a better life and a fairer society for many, providing help and support to people who are struggling. You also contribute to our shared cultural heritage, allowing yourself and others to sing in a choir, participate in activities, talk to a priest when in crisis, and much more.