Fr Tony Lester is a Carmelite friar and Prior to a community of Carmelite brothers who live in More House on Heslington Lane. He has been the Roman Catholic chaplain to the university for seven years now. In February, he was elected by the other Carmelites in Britain to be Prior Provincial. This position involves the responsibility of leading the Carmelites in the province of Great Britain. Christis asked him about his new post, his time spent here in York as chaplain and his hopes and fears for the future.

Christis: What does this new post mean to you?

Fr Tony: It’s a big challenge. I suppose it’s meaningful because I was elected rather than appointed. The other brothers in Britain have decided for better or for worse that I am the person who is going to lead the province for the next three years at least. There’s an enormous amount of trust in that. It’s quite a humbling thing really and quite frightening at the same time because the guy that I’m taking over from has been an outstanding provincial and it’s going to be very hard to follow that. There’s a funny sense of rightness about it as well. It’s as though this is the right thing. I presume somewhere that the Lord has been involved in the choice.

Christis: What do you hope to achieve in this new post?

Fr Tony: Well, there’s a lot to be done. One of the big things that needs to be done is establishing a different style of leadership. One that allows a lot more responsibility to the group as a whole rather than one person or a small group of people who make all the decisions. That needs to be worked towards. Also, we need to have a way of living that will inspire the young people that we have. They have hopes and dreams for the future that need to be realised. A great deal of listening needs to be involved in that context. I hope that through the way I will be working together with other Carmelites over the next three years, a renewal of Carmelite life in Britain will be seen.

Christis: Which do you think will be the biggest differences between the new post and being chaplain here at the university?

Fr Tony: I will miss the chaplaincy tremendously! The new job will have many challenges but I don’t think it will have as many rewards as being chaplain has. I’ve been very happy here and the big thing has been the trust that the students have shown in me over the years and that has been a great grace. The new job is going to certainly have more administration. I’ll have to be more organised than I’ve been. I hope I’ll be able to take all the lessons that I’ve learnt — there’s been many since I’ve been here — and apply them to the new job.

Christis: Your new post will involve lots of travelling. Will this bother you?

Fr Tony: I’m not looking forward to it. I don’t enjoy living out of a suitcase and I don’t enjoy driving long distances. Whilst being here my area of responsibility has been focused very much locally. I now have responsibility for Carmelites across Scotland, England and Wales. The Carmelite houses at the moment run from as far north as Aberdeen, as far across as Aberystwyth and as far down as Faversham in Kent so I’ll be covering a large distance!

Photo: Kate Harper

Christis: What will you miss most about being university chaplain at York?

Fr Tony: It has to be the contact with the students. Definitely.

Christis: Has the university lived up to your expectations?

Fr Tony: More than! It’s been a brilliant place to live and a brilliant place to work. There’s something very special about York and about York students.

Christis: What has been the most memorable event of your time here?

Fr Tony: Oh! I don’t know; there have been so many! The signing of the chaplaincy covenant marks a very important moment. This has changed the whole way in which the chaplaincy works. It has also changed the relationship between the chaplaincy and the university as a whole so I suppose that has been the biggest thing.

Christis: Any bad moments?

Fr Tony: There have been some. There have been some times when groups have seemed to want to detach themselves from other groups rather than to try and build things up. There have also been times when I have been misunderstood and times when I have misunderstood other people. But the overwhelming experiences have been the good ones. Any bad memories have been few and far between.

Christis: What are your hopes or fears for the future of Christianity on campus?

Fr Tony: My hopes for Christianity on campus would be that people would realise that there is much more that unites them than divides them and that applies to all Christian societies. My fear would be that the polarised situation that is apparent at the moment, especially that regarding the Christian Union, would continue and that people remain in their own corners and not talk to one another. I think that is a great shame. I know that the Christian Union have a lot to give to the wider Christian community and they also have things that they could learn. We can all learn from each other. I would hope that this unity could be achieved.

Photo: Kate Harper

Christis: What advice would you give to the new chaplain?

Fr Tony: That’s not fair! I’d tell him to trust the students and take a hands off approach as far as possible. I would advise him to be around and be available to them. Most importantly probably just to listen and listen then good things will happen!

Christis: What three words best sum up the university here at York?

Fr Tony: Life, energy, and er ducks!

Christis: What are your last words on leaving York?

Fr Tony: God is good!

Christis: Thank you very much and we wish you the best of luck in your new position.

Fr Tony has been an excellent and extremely popular chaplain throughout his time in York always ready to listen, give advice or just chill out with a pint. There are many people on campus and in York and the surrounding area who will be sad to see him go.

Christis would like to wish him all the best and hope that he finds success and happiness in his new post. He certainly deserves the position and we are sure that he will take to it the enthusiasm and great characteristics that have made him so successful and popular here. We also hope that he comes back and visits York from time to time to say hello and let us know how he’s getting on!

Tara Cooke

Photo: Paul Harford

Welcome!

Christis would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new chaplain, Fr Michael Manning. Watch this space for a forthcoming interview!