Gordon: apoio pastoral dos trabalhadores

Gordon (left) will the lead the act of remembrance and rededication of the Piper Alpha memorial garden in Aberdeen’s Hazlehead Park tomorrow (Saturday, July 6), which will be attended by survivors and relatives of the 167 people who died in the disaster.

He says: "You might think that after 25 years the scars of Piper Alpha would have healed but that’s not the case, they are opened without too much effort. It will be good to rededicate the memorial this weekend in an act that shows the families that their loved ones are not forgotten."

Gordon took over as Oil Industry Chaplain in September 2012. Ordained in 1988, and married to Rhona with three children, Gordon served 24 years in the RAF finishing as Principal Chaplain to the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches. This included tours to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Sudan, Kuwait and Afghanistan, the latter involving visits to Camp Bastion.

Living in Lincolnshire and travelling throughout the UK, Gordon typically spends two trips a month offshore offering pastoral support to workers and sadly, still carrying out acts of remembrance.

“It’s a case of letting people know I am there for them for them to come back and contact me when they are back onshore and handling people in the right way by enjoying and responding to the banter or ‘criac’ much as I did when in the forces.

“I will do services – but only by invitation. It’s a fact that sadly people still die on the platforms, mainly through illness and I will go out and perform an act of remembrance for them, with their colleagues. It is a very close-knit crew of people who work in this environment.

“When I do a visit to a platform, I have the support of the oil and gas companies as they know I will give feedback on things I see and they approve of me as an independent pair of eyes.”

When not offshore, Gordon is heavily involved in the pastoral care element of his calling: “I do regular visits to Aberdeen Infirmary and support those who have been injured, the widows and widowers and those who have retired from our industry.”

You can contact the Chaplaincy at: The UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy, c/o Total E&P UK Ltd, Crawpeel Rd, Aberdeen, AB12 3FG Tel: [phone], Email: [e-mail], Twitter and Facebook.