From Alison Young, The Church in Wales

A former physiotherapist is looking forward to his latest challenge as the new Anglican Chaplain for Cardiff University.

The Revd David Sheen will be licensed by the Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, David Wilbourne at the Chaplaincy at Park Place, Cardiff, tomorrow Friday, April 4, at 5.30pm. All are welcome.

David takes over from the Revd Dr Trystan Owain Hughes – moving from the parish of Pwllgwaun and Llanddewi Rhondda, where he was priest-in-charge and also Warden of Readers for almost four years.

“I’ve always had an interest in university chaplaincy so I’m really excited about my new post. It’s going to be great working with students because they are so open and engaging as they start out in life. I am also excited about the prospect of exploring faith in an academic context, ” said David.

David has been working in ordained ministry for a decade after working as a physiotherapist in the NHS.

“They are quite similar in a way, as they are both very much people jobs, which involve healing and being involved with people at difficult moments in their life.” said David, who is married with two teenage children.

Originally from Cardiff, David studied physiotherapy at Coventry where he met his wife Keren – before returning home to Wales.

“I was working as a senior physiotherapist and everything was going really well and then over a period of time I felt as though I was being nudged - through conversations and sermons - to consider that God was possibly calling me to serve as a priest.”

The final push to ordination for David came through one of Bishop Barry’s Advent III addresses - about calling people to ministry - which was read out in his parish church.

“When the Bishop’s letter was read out in Church I felt as though it was speaking directly to me and that the calling I had been considering could no longer be ignored.”

After successful selection and training, David served as assistant curate in the parish of Cowbridge for three years and then as assistant priest in the parish of Penarth and Llandough for three and a half years. From there he moved to his last parish of Pwllgwaun and Llanddewi Rhondda.

While in Cowbridge, he ran a youth club and was a school governor and in Penarth he led the busy urban parish for nine months whilst in between Rectors. In his last parish he brought three congregations together to worship as one.

“As Warden of Readers I have tried to enhance the image and role of Readers across the diocese and to help achieve a more integrated Reader ministry with that of the ordained. This all dovetails with what we are all working towards under the provincial review and 2020 Vision with lay people and the ordained working more closely together.”

Now as the new Anglican Chaplain for Cardiff University, David is looking forward to providing a Christian presence for students and staff. The Chaplaincy at 61 Park Place offers drop-in sessions, soup lunch, pastoral support and daily worship.

“We are here as a resource for people to come and use – a welcoming place for people to come and have a chat and explore their faith,” added David.

Bishop David said, “David Sheen brings to Cardiff University just the right ingredients to be a chaplain: deep learning, yet expressed with a light touch; a deep faith, secure enough in itself to explore new ways of worship to reach out to people at their point of need; a deep humanity, forged by a wonderful family and also people he has ministered to in Pwllgwaun, Penarth and Cowbridge: all topped by an empathy for young people earthed by having two teenage children of his own.

“It will be a pleasure to launch David officially at his licensing tomorrow, and I look forward to great things happening at the University in the months and years to come.”

In his spare time David enjoys walking his dog, cycling, reading and spending time with family and friends. His latest hobby is trying to learn to play the violin.

David will be licensed in the Catholic Chaplaincy at 62 Park Place, Cardiff. All are welcome.