Whenever I mention the name Gerry Tulk among the prison population, for the most part, a lot of the guys know who I am referring to. For those of us who may not know Gerry Tulk, I would like to take this opportunity to explain to you who this man is and just what it is he does that made me want to write this article.

Gerry is the Roman Catholic Chaplain for H. M. Penitentiary and the Salmonier Correctional Institution. He is a lay minister, and it is believed that he is the only lay person to ever have held the office of chaplain in any prison institution on the island. This alone tells me something of the man's.character and the gifts that he possesses in fulfilling his duties.

Gerry was born in St. John's and grew up in the west end of the city around the Mundy Pond area. He received his grade school education at St. Bon's and his secondary education at Gonzaga High School. He played as a defense man with his high school hockey team. His other interests were football, softball, and chess which hesaid interested him because he felt the game had a spiritual dimension to it.

After finishing high school, Gerry went to work in the automotive industry.

In his mid-thirties, Gerry felt the need to go back to school and pursue some post-secondary education. He started out studying Medical Lab. Tech. but because Biology was not one of his strong points, he found himself struggling.

Discouraged with his studies, he had wondered, on occasion, if he had made the right choice. Acting on advice from one of his friends, he considered changing his career choice from the pure sciences to the social sciences. Gerry would follow his better judgement and shortly thereafter enroled himself in the school of social work. In 1985, Gerry Tulk graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor's degree in social work and a major in religious studies.

Upon completion of his social work degree, for the next few years Gerry went to work with the Family Life Bureau.

In the spring of 1990, he was approached by his parish priest and was asked if he was interested in taking a position as chaplain for H.M.P. After careful consideration, in June of that same year, Gerry Tulk walked in through the doors of H.M.P. to fulfill his role as the prison's R.C. Chaplain.

Gerry is a man of great faith and character who strongly believes in the goodness of his fellow man. He is compassionate, empathetic, caring, and understanding in his role as chaplain and in his day to day dealings with those in his community. He believes that it is his duty to journey or walk with those of us that are a part of the criminal justice system. This not only refers to the offender serving time but also to the staff of the institution and the people in the community that work with and for thc offender. His ministry is open to a types of offenders and he believes that everyone is a child of God and that they are worth time and effort.

Gerry's philosophy on life and as a chaplain can be summed up with the following quote, "I believe that there is a treasure in the heart of every man if we can find it; if we can help him find it.”

By:WCK