We are currently looking for committed, Dutch speaking, people to help in the Meditation Centre. The centre is opened 24 hours a day for passengers and airport staff who wish a moment of quiet or retreat. The task of the volunteers is to ensure that the Meditation Centre is a pleasant place for passengers to spend time in silence. This means that, as a volunteer, you will be openminded and respectful for the variety of people who enter the centre during your shift. They may have questions or needs you will attend to.
Quite frequently, the chaplains are invited to give a lecture or a presentation for students in aviation, or colleagues of different expertise in the airport and beyond. In February, we were invited to lecture at the Laurentius College, located in The Base building at Schiphol. The students specialize in the profession of air host(ess) or ground steward(ess).
Very often the class does not expect a chaplaincy at an airport, or they can’t imagine what a chaplaincy is all about. The students are very interested in the topic and understand the value of pastoral help for travelers who face an emotional crisis. Also, being aware of cultural and religious backgrounds of passengers furthers mutual understanding and respect.
At the end of the lecture often the question arises: why did you choose this profession? Or, how do you cope with all emotions of different people? Then the final part gets really personal!
The anniversary 2025 of celebrating the 50-years’ anniversary of the Schiphol chaplaincy has come to an end. It is time to look to the future! The contract with the airport needs to be renewed, we have had a few changes in the chaplaincy team and our vision needs to stay vital and innovative.
On January 10th a large delegation of the boards and the chaplains gathered in the region for a meeting. Two facilitators led the brainstorm and analysis session which focused on the mission and the services carried out. The discussion also led to areas that we may miss, blind spots and niches in our work.
The lunch offered a wonderful socializing opportunity and rounded up the stimulating exchange of the day. A follow-up meeting is planned soon.
For the ones who are travelling through Schiphol airport on Christmas Eve, do not miss the opportunity to get a touch of Christmas in a short celebration in Lounge 2. This service can only be attended by checked-in passengers, passengers in transit or staff who are on duty on Christmas Eve. A selection of Christmas carols will be sung, we will read the Nativity story and a short Christmas message will be given by one of the chaplains. Musicians of the KLM-orchestra will participate in this event. Due to the overwhelming attendance of last year, the celebration will be held on the internet court in front of the Meditation centre. Afterwards a hot drink and Christmas stollen will be served to you. The event starts at 6.30 pm on the second floor in Lounge 2. The chaplaincy and its volunteers offer you a warm welcome!
On Christmas Day 25th December the airport chaplaincy offers a Christmas service by Rev. Marieke Meiring. You are welcome to join us in the Meditation centre at 10.00 am, even if your time is short and you would need to leave early.
Hello! My name is Jophiël van der Meij, and starting in September 2025, I'll be joining the Schiphol Airport Chaplaincy as a spiritual caregiver.
I'm 31 years old and live with my partner, Jasmijn van Elteren, in Leiden. In our free time, we enjoy visiting museums and theatre, or taking a stroll through nature. We also love playing elaborate board games. Since I was young, I’ve always been enchanted by stories. I enjoy reading books and watching a good movie or TV series. Additionally, I lose myself in the process of writing my own stories from time to time.
Discovering how stories shape our lives has always been a passion of mine, also in my studies and jobs. Most recently, I was studying for a Master's degree in Theology and Religious Studies: Spiritual Care at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. During this program, we learned much about the role of spirituality and meaning-making in people's lives. In the years before that I studied Religious Studies in Leiden. Before my time at the Schiphol Airport Chaplaincy, I worked at the Watersnoodmuseum in Zeeland, maintaining their website about the 1953 North Sea Flood. I'm looking forward to my time at the Schiphol Airport Chaplaincy, as well as hearing the stories of the thousands of travelers and staff who are making their way through Schiphol every day.
Op 10 juni vond een feestelijk evenement plaats om het 50-jarig bestaan van het Luchthavenpastoraat te vieren. Bestuursleden, vrijwilligers, pastores en vele genodigden kwamen samen in het Auditorium van het Schipholgebouw. Het thema van de dag was goed gekozen: “Stilstaan in beweging” – een treffende omschrijving van het werk van het pastoraat.
De bijeenkomst werd geleid door dagvoorzitter Gertie Blaauwendraad, expert en docent op het gebied van spiritual care aan de VU. Inspirerende bijdragen kwamen van onder andere:
Stefan Francke, ‘waterbouwpastor’ bij Stichting Pastoraat Werkers Overzee
Anne Dijk, religiewetenschapper en islamitisch theoloog
Ook CEO Pieter van Oord en COO Patricia Vitalis stonden stil bij het belang van het Luchthavenpastoraat. Als blijk van waardering bood Schiphol een prachtig bronzen beeld aan, dat de kracht van verbinding en rust symboliseert. Flip Poort, bestuursvoorzitter van Stichting Ondersteuning Luchthavenpastoraat Schiphol, overhandigde daarnaast een speciale jubileumkrant aan Pieter en Patricia. Tussen de sprekers door zorgden Sinan Arat (ney) en Julian Schneemann (piano) voor muzikale intermezzo’s die ruimte boden voor bezinning. De middag werd poëtisch samengevat door dichter en denker Willem Smit, die met zijn woorden de essentie van het pastoraat prachtig wist te vangen. De receptie werd feestelijk ingeluid door het KLM harmonieorkest, dat bij de uitgang voor een muzikale overgang zorgde.
Jubileumkrant
Ter gelegenheid van het jubileum is een speciale jubileumkrant uitgebracht, met daarin bijzondere verhalen van reizigers die in de afgelopen 50 jaar steun vonden bij het Luchthavenpastoraat. De krant is af te halen bij het Meditation Centre of lees hem here.
Wil je een indruk krijgen van het werk van het Luchthavenpastoraat? Bekijk dan de korte film:
Ook De Telegraaf besteedde aandacht aan het jubileum met een mooi artikel in de rubriek Vakantie (8 juni 2025), waarin het pastoraat wordt omschreven als een “steun en toeverlaat” voor reizigers. Een aanrader om te lezen!
Dank aan iedereen die dit jubileum mogelijk heeft gemaakt. Op naar de volgende 50 jaar van betrokkenheid, compassie en aanwezigheid op Schiphol. Ook veel dank aan fotograaf Arnoud Raeven, die het jubileum op prachtige wijze heeft vastgelegd in beeld.
For the ones who are travelling through Schiphol airport on Christmas Eve, do not miss the opportunity to get a touch of Christmas in a short celebration in Lounge 2. This service can only be attended by checked-in passengers, passengers in transit or staff who are on duty on Christmas Eve. A selection of Christmas carols will be sung, we will read the Nativity story and a short Christmas message will be given by one of the chaplains. Musicians of the KLM Orchestrawill participate in this event. Due to the overwhelming attendance of last year, the celebration will be held on the internet court in front of the Meditation Centre. Afterwards a hot drink and Christmas stollen will be served to you. The event starts at 6.30 pm on the second floor in Lounge 2. The chaplaincy and its volunteers offer you a warm welcome!
On Christmas Day 25th December the Airport Chaplaincy offers a Christmas service by Fr. Gerard Timmermans. You are welcome to join us in the Meditation Centre at 11.00 am, even if your time is short and you would need to leave early.
On a Sunday afternoon two Ugandese young men knocked on the door of the Meditation Centre. Thirteen childreen between ten and thirteen years old and their leaders asked for a place in the airport where they could spread their blankets on the floor and sleep. The children’s choir just finished it’s three months tour and were on their way back home to Entebbe. It had not been possible to arrange a short connection for them, normally they avoid staying overnight at an airport. The pastor on call contacted the operational manager of the airport in order to find a solution.
The childrens’ choir belonged to the Watoto villages, an NGO in Uganda and South Sudan. This NGO cares for orphaned and vulnerable children by bringing them up with motherly care in homes, schools and clinics. Some choir leaders were rescued in their own childhood by Watoto and they are the leaders of today and tomorrow.
Foldable beds were placed in a safe, private area in the lounge. The Mercure Hotel offered shower facilities. The children of the Watoto choir were very polite and peaceful guests, it was a pleasure to host them.
The children sang a blessing to the chaplain, who could not have wished for something more touching!
The Chaplaincy was invited some time ago to lecture to a group of KLM shiftleaders of the Business Lounge. The work the Chaplaincy does is always touching and interesting to share. For example, the help is given to those who have experienced a robbery at their destination and travel back without anything. Sometimes travellers do not bring any suitcases, but they just have a plastic bag with hardly anything. The chaplains help out with a pair of slippers, a warm jumper or necessary medication.
The information session with the shiftleaders took place in spring 2023, but since then, the shiftleader team has felt the need to support the Chaplaincy in its work. A donation box was set up at the check-in desk in Lounge 52 and it gently invites travellers in a modest way to donate a token of sympathy and help. Recently, the president of the Chaplaincy board, and colleagues Mark Hafkenscheid and Marieke Meiring have recieved an envelope again.
It is truly precious to us, since we are able to help a little more people who are facing stress and anxiety when they cannot provide for their basic needs during their journey.
The Chaplaincy is very grateful to these devoted shiftleaders of KLM and the passengers in the KLM Business Lounge.
The Dutch organization VALK staat voor Vlieg Angstbestrijding Leidse universiteit KLM. De Stichting bestaat sinds 1 februari 1990. Eén van de wetenschappelijke uitgangspunten is dat vliegangst altijd een uiting is van een andere angst. Daarmee vervalt het argument dat vliegangst een luxeprobleem is. Er is altijd een andere angst mee verbonden, bijvoorbeeld controledrang, trauma, een gegeneraliseerde angststoornis (piekeren), claustrofobie en meer. Angst is dus nooit een luxeprobleem, aldus VALK.
Recently, the airport chaplains and volunteers have listened to a lecture given by Drs. Kelly Pex, director and health psychologist with VALK. Practical suggestions were given how they can help a passenger who has a fear of flying, the specific do’s and don’ts that they should be aware of.
Foundation VALK is an acronym for Fear of Flying Abatement Leiden University KLM. The institution has grown over the years and their meditation exercises in dealing with fear of whatever kind are available on Spotify (Dutch spoken).
Drs. Kelly Pex, director manager and psychologist at VALK
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