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01414_Field_177.cap.txt
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1996-03-14
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101 lines
@
Chad Varah was a
reluctant priest,
saying "I didn't
want to give up
the girls".
Persuaded by his
mentor, Bishop
Hine, to change
his mind, Varah
began a career
which would
swap saving souls
for saving lives
#
Ten minutes after
his ordination,
Chad Varah the
reluctant priest
had to perform
his first duty -
helping to bury a
13-year-old girl
who committed
suicide after
her first
menstruation -
she had no-one to
explain what was
happening to her.
Varah had found
his vocation
#
Moving to London
to become a vicar
Chad Varah
was horrified
to find that each
day three people
commit suicide in
the British capital.
Varah formed the
Samaritans to
give desperate
people someone
to talk to
#
In Britain, over
twenty thousand
Samaritans spend
their free time
counseling suicidal,
ill, confused or
lonely people. Varah
found that people
who are stable
but slightly
introverted make
the best listeners
#
As the Samaritans
grew Varah
became a
household name
and received
international
recognition for
the organisation
he had created to
tackle the problem
of suicides
#
Many of the calls
the Samaritans
receive are from
young people,
prompted by
their ignorance of
sexual matters.
Promoting sex
education for
young people has
been one of
Varah's and the
Samaritans'
primary concerns
#
Varah's dedication
is matched by
those who
volunteer to
staff the telephone
lines. Each person
who applies
to be a Samaritan
is carefully
interviewed and
many are rejected
@