She’s a familiar face for many and a new face for some, but how well does HT really know Chaplain Garcia?
Garcia Barnswell-Schmidt, known throughout the school community as Chaplain Garcia, has been Holy Trinity’s chaplain since 2014 after being invited in 2013 by the previous chaplain, Reverend Joy. “I was invited to come to Melbourne and to play,” said Barnswell-Schmidt. “When I asked her what she meant by that, Reverend Joy described working with children, telling them how much God loved them, singing songs, and telling Bible stories. I’ve been doing that ever since, and I love every minute of it.”
Last year, Barnswell-Schmidt took on the role of chaplain for both the upper and lower school, changing the way chapel looks at both campuses. A typical day for Barnswell-Schmidt consists of planning chapels and ceremonies, meeting with students, and pastoral care, regardless of which campus she is at. “It’s different each day, but it’s never boring,” said Barnswell-Schmidt.
Her homilies, especially, require extra time and thought while planning them. “I always start off with ‘Lord, help me to speak what you want your people to hear,’” said Barnswell-Schmidt. “That is my prayer every single morning. I also have a chapel outline based on the church’s liturgical calendar, and I will pull the main liturgical ideas from there. The upper school homilies and the lower school homilies are sometimes different, but sometimes they’re the same, depending on the message. I try to connect with everyone, so a lot of care and thought goes into what stories are told, how they are told, and what I believe needs to be heard.”
Music also plays an important role in chapel for Barnswell-Schmidt. “I think music helps everyone feel connected,” said Barnswell-Schmidt. “Even if you’re a terrible singer, it still helps you to feel connected. I want us to get to the point where we don’t care about what someone else sounds like. All that matters is that our hearts are connecting with each other and it’s resonating with something bigger than ourselves, and I think music helps us to be able to do that.”
In her position, Barnswell-Schmidt hopes to act as a safe space for students and provide comfort and joy through her ministry. “I’m really passionate about being the person that I needed when I was younger,” said Barnswell-Schmidt. “Someone who was unapologetic about how much I was cared for and about how much I was loved. I wanted to be able to give that gift to others, especially those who didn’t have the voice to be able to speak to themselves, just so that they could know how valued and loved they are.”
This year, Barnswell-Schmidt aims to make chapel more student-oriented and student-led, allowing for students to participate in speaking roles in order to create a more fun worship environment. “I want chapel to be yours,” said Barnswell-Schmidt. “I want it to be a space where there’s ownership from all the students, and so this year, the hope is to implement a chapel council and have a little bit more fun. I’m hoping to have a lot more student presence singing our songs and being the ones who are up there speaking, and crossing my fingers that we’ll grow to the point where you all will be homilists as well.”
