0:00:02 > 0:00:05The Church in Wales, a traditional institution,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08with hymns, prayers and communion.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Business has been good for millennia, but with ageing congregations,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15falling numbers, and abandoned buildings,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18the church is facing a serious religious recession.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23So does the answer lie within these walls
0:00:23 > 0:00:24at St Michael's College, Cardiff?
0:00:24 > 0:00:26A new generation of priests is being prepared
0:00:26 > 0:00:31for a life as likely to include the prison cell as the pulpit.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And they're taking their message to the most unlikely places.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36I've still got to write tomorrow's sermon.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40But what will congregations make of the young upstarts?
0:00:40 > 0:00:41She was very confident.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And what will their reactions be when they try to mash up the mass?
0:00:47 > 0:00:51In the 21st century the clergy have to get out there.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54This is a fully working embalming theatre.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But will the new kids at the altar get their dog collars?
0:00:58 > 0:00:59I thought about leaving.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Yeah...itchy feet.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07In this programme, Huw faces a tough test in Cardiff Prison...
0:01:07 > 0:01:10He's a trainee vicar, with L plates.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12..and takes Sunday service behind bars.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14This is the gospel of the Lord.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Praise to thee, Lord Jesus Christ.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Rugby mad Roz is finding college life tough going.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I didn't expect it to be easy, but I didn't think it would be this hard.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And second year Marcus takes a leap of faith in Merthyr Tydfil.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33My experience has been always fairly middle of the road,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35churches that have been there for years,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38so anything pioneering is new to me.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40This is the rollercoaster ride of the Vicar Academy.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46We've been given unique access
0:01:46 > 0:01:49behind the scenes of an entire year at St Michael's College, Cardiff.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52These young students come from all walks of life
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and have been thrown together in a very unusual place -
0:01:56 > 0:02:00the Church in Wales's own college for training vicars.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02They're being prepared for daunting challenges -
0:02:02 > 0:02:07high numbers of clergy about to retire, ageing congregations
0:02:07 > 0:02:09and crumbling buildings.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Vice Principal Steven Roberts
0:02:12 > 0:02:15knows the challenging business model facing these students.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17If you've got a big building,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21a lot of money needing spending on it,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25a small, declining congregation, how do you turn that situation around?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28That's a difficult... a difficult question.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33As well as going out to parishes and chaplaincies across the country,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37the students spend a lot of their time in lectures and Bible studies.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39But this isn't to everyone's tastes.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41With students coming from all types of backgrounds,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44there are some that prefer a more hands-on approach.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Rugby-loving former bouncer Roz likes having a good time
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and she's not afraid to say it,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53even in her lectures.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55I am passionate about rugby.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It is the best game in the world. It brings you all together,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01makes you put your body on the line for the other person.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03And the men are really quite hot who play it,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06so that's always a bonus to watch.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07And it's really good drinking as well.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10You get wasted with the people you care about.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14But she's having severe doubts about her place in the college,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16with its emphasis on academic study.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18I don't think it's meant to be this hard.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23I didn't expect it to be easy, but I didn't think it would be this hard.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26The rest of society is kind of like seeing people
0:03:26 > 0:03:28learn on apprenticeships.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Realistically, the best thing the Bishop could have done was be like,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36"Let's just whack you in a church and you'll get form that way."
0:03:36 > 0:03:39If you put me straight on a four-year curacy,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42I'd probably be a lot happier right now, cos you're busy,
0:03:42 > 0:03:43you're constantly doing it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:49But I will have had these two years to have got really bitter against it,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and I just don't know if it's the best starting point.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56And also I thought the church would be a lot more...forward looking.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00Some parts of it is.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Cos they really need to change.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08I'm just not ready to... give it up yet.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Whilst one student is wrestling with doubts, another is facing
0:04:13 > 0:04:17a different kind of challenge outside the confines of the college.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Huw Bryant has had his run-ins with the law in the past,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24which makes his placement at Cardiff Prison all the more unusual.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Going into prison and knowing that, with my own past,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I could easily have ended up in there myself,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35it's quite nerve-racking to go and see these people.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Huw's mentor, Mark John, starts the morning
0:04:40 > 0:04:45with a rundown of some of the prison chaplain's key duties.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48You may also be involved in the breaking of bad news,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51where a family member phones into the chaplaincy,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54where we find out and verify what that news was.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56A granny may have died or something like that.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59And then we go and tell the prisoner, check that they're OK,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02allow them certain phone calls to the family
0:05:02 > 0:05:06to work out and allow the whole process to sink in.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10The chaplains also work in some of the prison's most challenging areas,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13including the Segregation Unit, where prisoners are placed
0:05:13 > 0:05:18if they've broken rules or need to be separated for safety reasons.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20In that unit we have prisoners who, for whatever reason,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23have stepped over the line of the prison rules
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and they need to be kept in a place that is safe and secure,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29away from other prisoners.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32In fact sometimes you go into that sort of situation
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and people will be avid readers of the Bible
0:05:34 > 0:05:39and ask you something obscure about the Old Testament that you might never have heard of,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41because they've had time to do that.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44In all of that we look for signs of vulnerability.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It's over to the Segregation Unit,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51to face one of the prison's toughest challenges.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Anybody in particular we've got issues with today?
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Good job for you over on solitary confinement, er...
0:05:58 > 0:06:00and the other chap's got a lot of concerns
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and we're just waiting for...
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Broadmoor to come down and interview him, really,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08see whether he's suitable to go there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09OK, thank you.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11The chaplains offer a listening ear
0:06:11 > 0:06:15within the prison from someone who's not in authority.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And there's an encouraging request
0:06:17 > 0:06:19from the morning's first port of call.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Anything for the Chaplain this morning?
0:06:24 > 0:06:29- Um... I'd like a...Bible.- You can have a Bible! Is there not one...?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31There's normally one just there.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- The Bible's out.- All right, we'll get one brought down for you, buddy.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- Cheers, man.- This is Huw. He's going to be working with you for a while.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41He's a trainee vicar, a vicar with L plates.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- All right. Nice one.- Cheers now.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46- Remind me, a Bible.- Yep.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50And the vicar with L plates
0:06:50 > 0:06:53hopes that every request this morning will be as easy,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56but things are never that simple in the prison.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02Another second year student is moving out of his comfort zone.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Marcus has been sent to Merthyr Tydfil
0:07:05 > 0:07:07for his placement on a council estate.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12It's a million miles from his previous day job in rural Wales.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I used to work at the Centre for Alternative Technology
0:07:16 > 0:07:17in Machynlleth.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I drifted into sort of atheism,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22which I quite fervently held for a few years
0:07:22 > 0:07:26until I started exploring Christianity again in my mid-20s.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30I've been a builder, I've always worked outside, worked with my hands,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34so that's going to be hard to let go of that a little bit
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and have a different working routine in life as well.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44I'm not exactly sure where I'm going,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47but I think it's up here somewhere on the left,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Looks like a... I don't know... I don't know...
0:07:54 > 0:07:55So this is it, I believe.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I recognise that church from the photo
0:07:58 > 0:08:00that someone must have shown me.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Marcus has come to St Luke's Church
0:08:02 > 0:08:06at the centre of the Gellideg council estate in Merthyr.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09The buildings don't look like a traditional church,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13and that's the point of the pioneering ministry that they're part of.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16- Hiya! You must be Marcus.- Hi.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- Paul. Nice to meet you. Good journey?- Fine, thanks.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Please come in. Welcome.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Marcus will be following vicar Paul Edwards whilst in Merthyr,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and learning about the unconventional ministry in Gellideg.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Yes, so, um... This is the...
0:08:30 > 0:08:34We've got actually two flats on this block.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Two ground-floor flats and that's where we do our ministry from.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- This is your church.- Yes.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45The church in Gellideg works in the community
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and Paul shows Marcus their Food Bank store room -
0:08:48 > 0:08:53a programme that prevents people from going hungry when they hit financial problems.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57A lot of this food is... a ministry called Food Bank.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00I've heard of that at college.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02It's all donated by local people.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05You know you get these two-for-one offers?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Maybe baked beans are on two for one. "Would you mind...?"
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- You can donate it.- Oh, really?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And the people in Merthyr have been really, really generous.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- Yeah. OK.- We've had round about...
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I think it's been going since November last year
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and we've received already about four tonnes of food.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25- That's amazing.- That is a lot, isn't it?- Really exciting. Yeah.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29More and more of the students are sent out
0:09:29 > 0:09:31to the real world where the church
0:09:31 > 0:09:33is trying to reach out to the community.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34How are you doing?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36And the students are being exposed to people
0:09:36 > 0:09:40from different backgrounds to their own.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41# Hallelujah... #
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Back in Cardiff, third-year Alex Grace
0:09:44 > 0:09:46is in the middle of the family's morning routine.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52# Hallelujah, praise the Lord Right where we are, amen. #
0:09:52 > 0:09:56As a woman and divorcee she's not the type of person who would
0:09:56 > 0:09:58have been allowed into the college 20 years ago.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00And as well as fighting prejudices
0:10:00 > 0:10:05she also has to raise two daughters who have plenty of tough questions.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Elizabeth thinks I should know the answer to every question she asks me
0:10:08 > 0:10:11because I'm nearly a vicar. I don't know what that means.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Alex went through tough times during her divorce
0:10:15 > 0:10:17but this eventually led to a stronger faith.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21I was really struggling and things were going awfully in my life
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and I just...
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I had a kind of... a real argument with God
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and I said, "If you're not going to stop this suffering I'm going through
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and help me, then I'd like you to leave me alone
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and go away and I don't want you any more in my life."
0:10:36 > 0:10:43And I've never felt such aloneness or emptiness and complete silence
0:10:43 > 0:10:44as I felt then.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And it only lasted a day because I was just begging him to come back
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and to be in my life.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52And for me that was the turning point
0:10:52 > 0:10:58where faith became, for me, a matter of life or death.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Despite the strength of her faith,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03the church had some reservations before letting a divorcee
0:11:03 > 0:11:08train to be a vicar, and there was an extensive interview process.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I had a...quite a long interview.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17I can't remember how long it was, but it seemed to go on for ever.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Um, and two men came to my house to interview me.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23One ordained and one not.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26And it was incredibly difficult.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30They warned me the night before that it would be painful and difficult
0:11:30 > 0:11:35and it was. It was very, very difficult.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39They have to make sure there's nothing that could be uncovered later
0:11:39 > 0:11:41that could bring scandal to the church
0:11:41 > 0:11:43or bring harm to anyone involved.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47So it has to be, I think, fairly invasive,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50but it was very, very difficult
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and when they went I was very upset,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and that sort of lasted for quite a while.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Alex is keen to develop her experiences of pastoral care
0:12:01 > 0:12:05on the course, and to get to help others with their problems.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Today she's joined by first year Rebecca Stevens on a placement
0:12:09 > 0:12:12at a care home run by the Methodist Church.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15One of the tasks Alex has to complete on the placement
0:12:15 > 0:12:18is putting together an afternoon of familiar hymns
0:12:18 > 0:12:20and poems to entertain and engage the residents.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28Welcome, everybody, to our little impromptu hymns and poetry afternoon.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Um, I'm Alex and this is Becca.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33So shall we just pray before we start?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Father, God, we thank you so much...
0:12:36 > 0:12:38'People just seem to feel really at home here.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43'People who might have had concerns about being in a nursing home.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'Very different and much nicer than my expectation was.'
0:12:47 > 0:12:51So we're going to sing our first hymn, which is hymn number 13.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54PLAYS INTRODUCTION
0:12:57 > 0:12:59'Chaplaincy in general, I think,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01has a huge role to play somewhere like this.'
0:13:04 > 0:13:10# Praise my soul the king of heaven... #
0:13:10 > 0:13:12'I think it went really well, actually.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:18It was lovely to have a good mix of hymns and just everyday poetry.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23I think people recognised them. Yeah, I think it went well.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25# Praise him, praise him
0:13:25 > 0:13:27# Praise him, praise him
0:13:27 > 0:13:28# Praise with us... #
0:13:28 > 0:13:32In Cardiff prison, Mark and Huw are continuing their rounds
0:13:32 > 0:13:34of the Segregation Unit.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39Prisoners with time on their hands often ask the big questions in life
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and can come close to despair.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Mark shows Huw that you need to use every weapon at your disposal
0:13:44 > 0:13:46to help them, even Bible studies.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I want to ask you some things about the Bible.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I've been reading the Bible.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Read Mark's Gospel, right? Where's your Bible? Here.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02The best bit to read, cos it's named after me, Mark!
0:14:02 > 0:14:03CHUCKLES
0:14:03 > 0:14:06So...what I say... And it's short.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07It's only 14 chapters long
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and the chapters aren't very long in the Bible.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15I've only been out of prison about ten, 11 months in my whole life.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18I'm 29 now. I've been in prison for most of it, you know what I mean?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- Yeah.- A month here, a month there adds up to about 11 months.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26So what want you to do for me... I've put the marker in there. There.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33It's from there. It's not even that far, look. It's actually quite short.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- There we are, just up to there. It's that much.- Yeah.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And we could have a discussion about that, but the other thing we do,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44we run special courses in here on Mark's Gospel.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48So we'd love to have a chat with you and if you feel up to it sometime
0:14:48 > 0:14:51we could get on one of those courses and talk about that. OK?
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- Yeah, go on then.- Yeah?- Yeah. - Good man. But that's for you to read.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Just Mark. Remember me. That's Mark.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03But the next visit along the unit throws up a surprise for Mark,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06as there's always some prisoners who try
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and relieve their tensions in a different way.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10You all right, buddy?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I can see you're busy at the moment. You take care.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Thanks for that!
0:15:18 > 0:15:19- Did you know that?- What?
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- He was having a pull.- No! But he's been doing that all morning.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27It's not something you often see in the parish pews,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29but it's all in a day's work at the prison.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33And no sooner has the work on the Segregation Unit finished
0:15:33 > 0:15:36than it's off to interview a new arrival.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40With the majority of prisoners having had problems with drugs and alcohol,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43the situation facing Mark and Huw is a common one.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46So how long have you been living rough?
0:15:46 > 0:15:49INDISTINCT ANSWER Long time?
0:15:50 > 0:15:56- Have you got a drug problem?- Yeah. - What is it you use?- Heroin.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Are you on methadone in here? Hm?
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- So you just do heroin when you're outside.- Yeah.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Have you got any next of kin? - No.- No.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Part of the chaplain's role is helping such prisoners
0:16:15 > 0:16:18to get access to the help and services they require.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Sadly there's a whole group of people that...
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- A sort of way of keeping warm over winter.- Yeah.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Come in and get themselves three meals a day, get tidied up,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30shower every day and all the stuff they wouldn't get on the outside.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Mark has noticed that Huw has been holding back,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and at the end of the morning he's given a chance to fly solo.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Mark pushes him to chat to the prisoners on another landing
0:16:41 > 0:16:44who are keen to discuss their plans for when they get out.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- So is this your first time in here or...?- Several times I've been here.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50First for me.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- He won't be back. He's not the type. - That's good.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Fingers crossed for the next time, is it?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Got work in a bar secured out there when I get out,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03but it's just local bar work,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08but...that's what I need out there, just something to keep me busy.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Coming back here, the staff here have turned me around,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17given me advice, not to give up, just to keep moving forward, like.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21We've got to move on. We've got back over to C wing. OK?
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Was he all right?
0:17:22 > 0:17:27- Nice meeting you.- I haven't got to give him a clout later on?- No.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Whilst Huw starts to find his feet,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32there's still the challenge of the Sunday service
0:17:32 > 0:17:34where he'll have to face hundreds of inmates.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Another student being taken out of his comfort zone
0:17:38 > 0:17:41is Marcus on his placement in Merthyr.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Mentor Paul is taking him to a scheme
0:17:43 > 0:17:45run by a number of churches in the town.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49The night shelter is held in a different church every night,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53offering a meal and a bed to the town's homeless during the winter.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57And on arrival one of the workers has a few words of encouragement.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01- Nobody's killed us yet! - LAUGHTER
0:18:01 > 0:18:06Canon Steve Morgan takes Marcus under his wing to introduce him
0:18:06 > 0:18:09to those who make use of the night shelter.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- Now, this is Steve here. - Hello, Steve. I'm Marcus.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15He used to be a dealer in drugs,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17but he's really getting his life together again.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Fantastic success.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21And Steve and I and others
0:18:21 > 0:18:24are working with those in the drug community
0:18:24 > 0:18:27to enable them to come off drugs.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Do people sleep out, go to Cardiff?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31No, I've done the Huggard Centre in Cardiff.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- Yeah, you've had a go down there? - Yes.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38Yeah, had a few nights there, know what I mean?
0:18:38 > 0:18:44- This night shelter, this kind of centre, is totally different.- Yeah.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- You come in here, you sit down as a family.- It's quite nice, isn't it?
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- It looks nice, anyway. - You have a good meal and you get looked after as well.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57If you have any needs, they'll kind of help you out.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02He'll be housed shortly and then he'll be coming back into the shelter to help out.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03- He's a legend in Merthyr. - LAUGHTER
0:19:03 > 0:19:05All right, see you, Steve.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08It's not long before Marcus is rolling up his sleeves
0:19:08 > 0:19:09and helping out in the kitchen.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11This place is impressive.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15It's nice to see the churches working together with practical help.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Really helping people, it seems. It's quite an inspirational operation.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Having completed kitchen duties,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Marcus and the helpers share a meal with the users of the night shelter.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I'd like to maybe get involved again.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31I don't know whether it's something I'll do in the future,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33depends where I go. But it's good to have seen it.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36My experience has been always been fairly middle of the road,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38churches that have been there for years,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41so anything pioneering is quite new for me,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45so it's good to see what goes on and...possibilities.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Back in Cardiff it's rugby training time for Roz,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and while she's completely confident on the field of play,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06she's having increasing doubts about staying on the course
0:20:06 > 0:20:07and becoming a vicar.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Her role on the rugby team is a way of escaping the doubts
0:20:10 > 0:20:12that have been clouding her mind.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14It's really good fun, it's a really good craic.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Gets out some pent-up aggression and it's just good to have a run-around.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Makes you feel good.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26And you can be crap and still get played. And you can be rubbish and still get played sometimes.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30A young woman like Roz training to be a vicar arouses as much confusion
0:20:30 > 0:20:33as encouragement amongst her teammates.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Well, I can remember asking you what you did and you were like, "I'm training to be a vicar."
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I did first of all say, "Are you joking?" And you went, "No."
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I thought you had to be a man.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48I just didn't think they did anything like rugby or anything.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53I didn't think they did anything active, if that makes sense.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55I thought they read books and stuff like that.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57I think it's great. Break the stereotypes and stuff.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Maybe more people would go to church
0:20:59 > 0:21:02if they thought the vicars were more like them.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06It's just interesting that she's combining her faith with rugby.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I think it's a great combination.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12But why does Roz have a better attendance record
0:21:12 > 0:21:15at training sessions than at morning prayers?
0:21:15 > 0:21:17It's more fun, feel more useful.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Better being active than stationary.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Um... it's more unpredictable as well.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25As you can see tonight, didn't know what was going to happen.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Still don't know what's going on, but it's all good.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36In Cardiff Prison, Huw's placement is entering more difficult territory.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38The most challenging duties of a chaplain is having to
0:21:38 > 0:21:40break bad news to a prisoner,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44a task that can cause all sorts of unpredictable reactions.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Right, Huw, we've just had a telephone message through,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52er, informing us that one of our prisoners on the wing here,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54his grandmother has just died.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57One of the jobs you have to do regularly
0:21:57 > 0:22:00is inform a prisoner that a relative has died.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02You have to go through the form
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and ensure that these are kosher details.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Get the contact details of families and everybody authenticated
0:22:08 > 0:22:10and then go and find the prisoner.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's quite a demanding thing to do. I'd like you with me.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16I'll take the lead on this and it won't be a big issue.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21Shall we just pop through here on to this wing, go and pick him up,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- come back here and get on with it? - OK.- All right?- Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27As privacy is such an issue in the prison,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Mark's first task is to get the prisoner off the wing
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and out of sight of the other inmates.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34And whether he's a Christian or not,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38the natural place to take him with Huw is the back of the chapel.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Your brother phoned in this morning.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I haven't confirmed this, but your nan...
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- Yeah?- ..apparently died at...
0:22:46 > 0:22:49- Ohhh... - Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- Does that make sense? - Yeah. She had cancer of the throat.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54- So you were aware she was ill?- Yeah.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59She never touched a fag in her life and she had cancer of the throat.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I can put you on the phone if you want to talk to either of those people.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- They both left numbers, so I can put you on to either of those.- Yeah.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07On this occasion the prisoner took the news calmly,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12but Mark is keen to know whether Huw has gained some insight
0:23:12 > 0:23:15from a task he might have to perform himself one day.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20Had you ever been in that position before, telling somebody some news?
0:23:20 > 0:23:24No, but I've had it said to me. I've been on the receiving end before now.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28- Yeah.- And I've had to deal with my own family when things have gone bad,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31but it's different dealing with your own family and a complete stranger.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Entirely different. And it does have an effect.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38You do approach it in quite a cold, clinical way,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41because we do it four, five times in a week on occasion.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44You can't afford to get too sucked into your own emotions.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49You've got to give the news and often repeat it once or twice...
0:23:49 > 0:23:53You've got to get it through and then pick up the pieces afterwards, not pussyfoot...
0:23:53 > 0:23:55As soon as we have the news,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58we get them on the phone to a family member,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- because that then makes it more... - Makes it real.- More normal.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And as with every prison chaplaincy, onwards and upwards.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Let's get moving somewhere else.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08CHUCKLES
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Onwards and upwards for this trainee means taking part in a service
0:24:12 > 0:24:15far removed from the usual parish church atmosphere.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21- You're going to be fine!- Nervous is just my natural state of being.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Just get a seat there and wait there.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- OK, I'll go and sit out there.- Yeah.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Right, into battle.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37I'm sure it'll be fine. It'll be interesting to see the dynamics of how it works.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Mark was just explaining it's a bit more chaotic, bringing in prisoners.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47You don't have the usual procession in to start the service,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50so there's no preparation and now it begins.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54It's going to be chaos before the calm, I think.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59I picked up this morning that he seems a bit apprehensive about going into battle with the prisoners.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04Most of the ordinates coming in training feel a bit shocked and uptight.
0:25:04 > 0:25:11He's really just going to be doing some little bits in the service just to give him an idea and involvement.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Huw now has to face one of his biggest
0:25:13 > 0:25:18and probably most captive audiences since joining the course.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21And has an important role to play in the service.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26So we meet together in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- The Lord be with you. - RESPONSE: And also with you.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34As Christians we come together,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and at the start we stop and think, we pause.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43Whether we've been a Christian ten seconds or a hundred years,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46each time, each day, but especially on a Sunday,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49we just need to stop and think.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53So in a few moments of silence before God, let's stop and think
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and say sorry for the bad things that we've done.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04I ask you to stand now while Huw reads the Gospel.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Listen to the Gospel according to St John.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17"As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21"and John stared hard at him and said,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24'Look, there is the Lamb of God.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:26"Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus."
0:26:26 > 0:26:31The service also features the Cardiff Gospel Choir,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34regular visitors to the prison on Sundays,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and the moment of contemplation has an obvious effect
0:26:37 > 0:26:40on the prisoner who has just learnt of his grandmother's death.
0:26:40 > 0:26:46# Jesus came down from his glory and throne
0:26:46 > 0:26:52# Suffered poor sinners like me. #
0:26:52 > 0:26:54As the service draws to a close,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58what are Huw's reactions to the unusual experience?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I thought it went quite well.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04It didn't seem that much different to a parish church on a Sunday.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08I must admit there's many a Sunday where I've had a lot fewer
0:27:08 > 0:27:11than that I church on a Sunday.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- Did anything strike you as different?- Um...
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Well, once or twice you did the old headmaster routine -
0:27:17 > 0:27:19"Quiet now, boys."
0:27:19 > 0:27:24But people weren't being deliberately disruptive, I don't think.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's just once one or two started chattering, they all start and...
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- You just have to keep going. - Nip it in the bud.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Because you are introducing people to something that's not familiar.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36They're not familiar with worship,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and there's always the opportunity to come and preach here.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40CHUCKLES
0:27:40 > 0:27:42You'd be most welcome.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Anything to get out of writing your own sermons.- Absolutely, yeah.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Next time...
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Steve gets his hands dirty with a bishop...
0:27:56 > 0:27:59People get attracted to see a bishop in his purple robes
0:27:59 > 0:28:00washing people's feet.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03..Lorraine has to take charge of two archbishops...
0:28:03 > 0:28:05I keep looking at my notes and thinking,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07"What am I going to forget?"
0:28:07 > 0:28:09And Roz gets a final warning.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14I got my first yellow card... in the last ten minutes of the game.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd