Placement Reflection: Delhi Brotherhood
Published: 13 August 2025
During their training and formation at Westcott, ordinands have a variety of opportunities to experience and engage with parishes and ministry work overseas and within the Anglican Communion. First year ordinand, Sebastian Taite-Ellis, reflects on the time he spent on placement last December at the Delhi Brotherhood House.
I visited the Delhi Brotherhood for just under four weeks and my stay with them was divided into two main elements: parish and ministry work while based at Brotherhood House, and working at one of their schools – St Stephens Cambridge Senior Secondary School – located between the villages of Janti Khurd and Janti Kalan.
Photo: Playing cricket with the Brotherhood’s Mission School
My first few days were spent with a variety of the monks. On my first day, all the Brothers and I were guests at the Bishops house for a gathering of the youth groups of the churches (aged around 15-25) where I got the chance to meet with a number of the board of the youth groups and have a number of conversations about the Church of North India (CNI) and how it was being a religious minority.
On my first Sunday I went with one of the monks to his parish church. I was asked if I could give an address (and tie in the advent story) to the congregation, which I gave on what I was doing in India, the connection between Westcott House and the Delhi Brotherhood, the importance of the anticipation of the birth of Christ, and why we use advent as a time of reflection.
Photo: Meeting of the Delhi Diocese Youth Association
My other experiences of the ministry the CNI does was mostly in the Cathedral Church. The church held three services in English, Hindi and Tamil and I was asked, very kindly, if I would be an alter server and help at the eucharist in preparing the alter. Because of the similar pattern of worship from the CNI’s Book of Worship and the CofE’s Common Worship, it was easy for me to follow what was happening. To me, this cemented the importance of consistent liturgy so that everyone can follow what is happening, even without commonality in language. Even things like a physical gospel procession enabled me to follow in my bible by looking at the readings for the day. At the Cathedral Church, I attended services on Christmas at Midnight Mass, New Years Day, and a regular Sunday.
Photo: Serving in Delhi cathedral alongside Church of North India Ordinands and Novice Monks
Photo: The Brothers and some of the monastery staff at the end of their New Years Carols garden party
The most moving experience I had, by far, was my time on Christmas Day. I went with another of the monks to one of his churches which was in Delhi’s Leper Colony. It was shocking for me to see. The colony are mostly Hindu, but it is the Brotherhood and the Christian Faith to give them ministry and fellowship. On that day we led a simple service in the chapel built in their compound, giving the eucharist to the five Christian converts and joined in with games in the courtyard. Before we left, we gave presents to everyone, as well as giving them a sum of money so they could have a large Christmas feast they would not usually be able to afford. I quote here an extract from my diary I wrote later that day, which displays the power of the experience had on me:
“I feel profoundly moved. In a place of such pain and suffering, poverty and being forced to live in a ghetto where they are shunned, I experienced one of the most heartfelt welcomes I have ever received. The grace, humbleness and simple kindness of the colony knew no bounds. They shared what little they physically had, and across the barrier of language and race showed me nothing but strength. In a slum where rubbish piled up in mounds this small community displayed dignity in its highest form. Their compound was swept clean, and all rubbish was collected (rather than being left to pile up as I had seen everywhere else in the city). I am moved to tears at seeing God work so clearly through them and in them. They may be poor in physical goods, but they are some of the richest people in God that I have ever had the pleasure to meet.”
My time at the school was fascinating, as a new establishment, it was still under construction at its highest levels. The facilities were basic, and the organisation was a little chaotic at times, but the staff and students were clearly both very happy to be there. At the end of the school days the children would always ask to stay for extra classes. On top of this there was regular sport for the children. It was the school’s Annual Day coming up in my time there, as I was asked to put on a short nativity for the parents. While challenging trying to teach the story to children who did not speak English very fluently, we were able to perform the story with success. It was a fantastic experience of teaching, not just in another language, but in a very different culture.