The Diocese of Bristol is pleased to share that Revd Caroline Buckland has been licensed as Chaplain to Katherine House & Griffiths House, a care home part of the Cote Charity in Westbury-on-Trym.
Revd Caroline was licensed by The Ven Becky Waring, Archdeacon of Bristol, at Katherine House, Westbury-on-Trym on Thursday 20 August.
After moving to Bristol in the early 1990s, Caroline became increasingly involved in church life. A defining moment came in 1994 when she witnessed the first women being ordained as priests in the Church of England, an experience that quietly sparked her own call to ministry. What was meant to be a six‑month stay in Bristol became home, and that call continued to grow.
Caroline was ordained priest in 2021, completing her curacy while working as a community nurse in the Chew Valley. Her vocation has always woven together care, compassion, and creativity, and the chaplaincy role brings these gifts together with her desire to help people explore faith in meaningful and life‑giving ways.
Speaking about her new role, Caroline said:
"I am really looking forward to ministering at Katherine House and Griffith House, to come alongside both residents and staff, and to be a steady, encouraging presence. As we grow older, faith still needs tending, nurturing, and celebrating just as much as it does when we are young. I hope that my creativity, my nursing experience, and my ministry will come together to help people keep running the race set before them, despite age or circumstance. Above all, I want each person to know that they are loved immeasurably by a creative and compassionate God."
We give thanks for Caroline and pray for her flourishing in the coming months as he serves and shares the love of God in Katherine House & Griffiths House.