Our Chaplains

The Reverend Caroline Leys 

I was ordained as an Anglican Priest and have contributed as a non-stipendiary priest in several parishes and at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland. Since ordination in 1990 I have worked in private practice as a therapist, facilitator, trainer and more recently in ministry and business development. I have recently become a certified Sageing Leader for Sage-ing International.

 As director of Spiritual Care, I am responsible for the development and refinement of Selwyn’s operational expression of Faith and Tikanga, which is written into our Constitution and is the basis for all that we do and exist for as an organisation. I also lead our strategic development of the spiritual wellbeing dimension of The Selwyn Way — which is our approach to the care and wellbeing of all who connect with us — so that spirituality is made accessible across everything we do as a charity, in our villages, through our community services, and through education and knowledge exchange for staff, older people and their families.

The Reverend Diane Hopping

I became chaplain here in Hamilton in January 2016. I'd just completed two years as a mature student at St John’s Theological College in Auckland. I was ordained as a deacon in November 2015 and Priested in April 2016. I spent many years teaching in primary schools in the Otorohanga area, while also holding a lay license as a preacher, liturgist and educator at St Bride’s church there. I'm still an assistant priest at St Bride’s in Otorohanga. I am married to Laurie, a vocational deacon in Otorohanga and we live in a converted woolshed in KioKio, just north of the town. I have three children and six grandchildren. Over the years I've gained many life skills to assist me in my position as chaplain. I'm finding similarities between my teaching years, journeying with young people as they learn new skills and now, journeying with an older generation who are losing those same skills. 

I find this passage from Jeremiah pulls me back from the edge when needed. This passage fell out of a book when I was packing to move to Auckland, needless to say, it provided just what I needed to hear from God at that time. He is there when you need him.

"I will show my concern for you and keep my promise to bring you home. I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you. You will seek me, and you will seek me with all your heart. Yes, I say, you will find me, and I will restore you to your land."

Jeremiah 29:10b

The Reverend Marianne Hornburg

I’ve worked for the Selwyn Foundation since 2000 as a chaplain and spiritual care coordinator. This has involved me in strategic planning, having oversight of the chaplaincy team, and providing spiritual and pastoral care for residents at Selwyn Village and Selwyn Heights.

I was ordained in 1978 and I worked as an Anglican parish priest in Auckland and a hospital chaplain in Auckland and Waikato.

I have a B.A. (psychology) from Chapman University in California, a LTh. from St. John’s College, Auckland and I completed the gerontological pastoral care institute training at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota.

I have a passion for ministry amongst older adults because of the richness of their life experience.

“We meet no ordinary people in our lives”

C.S.Lewis

The Reverend Susanne Green

I am the Locum Chaplain in the Villages. I support the Chaplains when they need holiday or sick leave, so Chaplaincy to the Villages residents, staff and families is continuous. I have worked as Chaplain for the Selwyn Foundation for 9 years, firstly at Selwyn Park Whangarei. Before that, I’d been a Health Care Chaplain in Taumaranui, for Green Lane/ National Women’s and Auckland City Hospitals in Auckland and for the Northland District Health Board Hospitals based in Whangarei. I have been involved in supporting prisoners and their families at Ohura and with PARS in Auckland, and Work Place Chaplaincy in Waikato and Silver Fern Farms Dargaville. I managed community houses in Glendowie and Ranui and was Vicar of Waiuku and Northern Wairoa.

I live as an Independent Resident in a unit with 17 year old gold and white corgi Max and 11 year old black cavoodle Badger and grey cat called Lucky, who often is boarding at Cats Pjamas. We all like the garden particularly carpet roses and are planting some fruit trees each season despite sometimes being dug up and replanted. We do like walking the spacious grounds of the Villages and meeting people.

"May our Selwyn Way of Caring, Kindness and Compassion, be experienced in Love, Hope and Respect  that the Deaf hear, Blind see, Confused understand and the Lonely feel."