Fr Barry Lomax, a diocesan priest and Force Lead Chaplain for Greater Manchester Police, was made a Fellow of the Catholic Police Guild at their annual National Requiem Mass, celebrated in Westminster Cathedral, London.

The Fellowship is the Guild’s highest honour and the National Executive Committee voted unanimously to present the award to Fr Barry, who has served as a Police Chaplain with Greater Manchester Police since 2001.

Fr. Barry said: “I was honoured to receive the Fellowship from Rt Rev Alan Williams SM, Bishop of Brentwood. It came as a complete surprise to me, and the citation read aloud in the Cathedral by Paul Connolly was moving to hear.”

In his citation announcing the decision, Paul Connolly, National Chair of the Guild, described Fr Barry as “someone who has provided long and meritorious service or in some special way has enhanced the standing of the guild.”

He added: “Since 2013, he has been the National Chaplain to The Catholic Police Guild and his help and advice to me, my predecessors as Chair and those both in the Guild and not in the Guild, can never be measured.

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Greater Manchester Police are looking to appoint a permanent Lead Chaplain to coordinate, manage and develop Chaplaincy activities throughout Greater Manchester Police. The Chaplain’s role is a supportive and pastoral one offering support to officers and staff. In this role you will seek to build a relationship of acceptance, friendship and trust with officers and staff and offer a source of comfort during times of stress.

Chaplains need to be good listeners and have confidence to go into a police station and initiate conversations with those who are working there. We would hope that you have some skills of compassion and non-judgmental appraisal of an individual’s situation. We offer verbal support, as well as sign-posting to other means of help, such as police charities, or encouraging people to seek professional help.

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