By Cornelius Giris

I had the opportunity last year and early this year to be pastorally involved with some of the confreres in the field. Overall it was one of the most enjoyable experience that I was involved in. Some of things I did was:

• hospital visitation
• retreats with young people
• helped with the liturgy
• being involved in schools
• attended parish meetings
• did some manual work
• shared with young people

The above are only some of the things I was involved in. The things that I have learnt are; commitment to the task, love for the people and the need for a lot of patience.

One needs to be committed to the task. This means being ready to do the work anywhere, at any place and at any time. There were times when the men I was staying with were called away at odd times, in the night, during meals or even on the day set aside for playing golf(a sacred day for Kiwis). Everything was dropped and the imminent need was attended to.

The other thing that was obvious to me is the need to love one's people. You cannot be committed to your people unless you love them. This means spending time with them, listening to what they have to say and challenging them whenever the need arises.

One of the things I struggle with is patience. I must admit I hate long speeches, long meetings and lectures, homilies and anything that goes beyond 30 minutes. My experience has really challenged me to re-think. A good minister needs to have a lot of patience. I still remember being really annoyed by some students because they refused to listen to me. Another time I was visiting in the hospital and was told to "go jump off a cliff" because I was not needed. The thing that moved me was seeing how our men took all this in their stride. It is something they encounter everyday. You just need to hang in there.

The pastoral experience was very enriching for me. I learned lots about myself and I am looking forward to another exciting challenge in the near future.