St Catharine’s is delighted to have appointed the Rev’d Nell Whiscombe as the College’s new Chaplain. Nell will join us on 13 January 2025, ahead of the start of Lent Term later the same month. She has been elected an Official Fellow of St Catharine’s and will be officially admitted to the Fellowship at a ceremony on 20 January 2025.
Sir John Benger (1979, English), Master of St Catharine’s, welcomed the news:
“On behalf of everyone at St Catharine’s, I want to extend a warm welcome to Nell, who will be the 50th Chaplain in the College’s 550-year history. The Chapel lies at the very heart of our main site and I am delighted that it will be overseen by someone whose qualifications and experience align so closely with our charitable objectives as well as our longstanding commitments to student support and environmental sustainability.”
The Rev'd Nell Whiscombe
Having studied Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Clare College, Cambridge, Nell spent ten years working in publishing before returning to the University of Cambridge in 2019 to train for ordained ministry in the Church of England. In 2022, she completed her MPhil in Theology at Corpus Christi College, focusing on credal statements and syncretic faith in the early church.
Nell joins St Catharine’s from St John the Evangelist in Cambridge, where she has been Assistant Curate and a member of the Ely Diocesan Synod. She brings with her recent experience of providing chaplaincy support as Associate Fellow at Homerton College as well as serving as part of the multifaith chaplaincy team at Anglia Ruskin University. She also has a Level 2 qualification in counselling skills.
Nell is a Foundation Governor at Cherry Hinton Church of England Primary School and has been a Brownie leader. She also volunteered regularly with the Cambridge Churches' Homeless Project before starting her ministry training.
Nell commented, “I’m very much looking forward to joining St Catharine’s. As well as upholding the Anglican tradition of the College and developing the Chapel community, it is important to me that Catz students, staff and Fellows of all faiths and none continue to benefit from the pastoral support provided by the Chaplain and feel welcome in the Chapel, a space that belongs to the entire Catz community. I also hope to work with others across the College community to nurture opportunities for sharing and learning between those of different faiths and beliefs.
“I look forward to supporting the College community in its wide-ranging ambitions for current and future generations. I hope to play my part in our journey to net zero emissions by 2040 and contributing my experience of how faith can inform environmental sustainability, drawing upon my experience of Eco-Church and a placement at A Rocha UK’s Foxearth Meadows nature reserve. With fond memories of learning to row on the Cam as an undergraduate, I also look forward to supporting Catz students in all their sporting endeavours, possibly including cheering too loudly from the riverbank during Bumps!”
The Rev'd Jonathan Collis, Rector of St Botolph’s, has supported St Catharine’s as Interim Chaplain since 16 September 2024 and he has kindly agreed to continue in this capacity until Nell’s arrival.
