Goodbye to New Zealand

Arnett, Sylvia and Joan at the airport















Arnett and myself
















Goodbye from Christ the King

Good day to you all, I am in Australia. The weather is nearly as hot as it is in the UK. Everyone is telling me over here what a lovely spring I am missing.

Well I left the cathedral on the Thursday before I left NZ and spent the rest of my time with Arnett. It was quite sad as you can imagine. It didn't seem like six months ago that Arnett with his blue blazer and Joan, met me at Christchurch Airport to welcome me and here we are getting ready to say goodbye. The two days Arnett and myself spent with each other was great and we did nothing but talk. I actually finished the tapes that I started about his life. The last part was about his emigration to N.Z. which was interesting but Arnett wasn't really very enthusiastic and I had to give him a lot of encouragement. We did, however, talked a lot about my time in N.Z. and how much we had both enjoyed it. On the Thursday we went and had a meal with Sylvia, Jim and Megan at the Water Shed near Sumner. We had a great time and the food was good.

Friday started the day with Mass at Christ the King which was apt as it was the place where I celebrated Mass when I first came to N.Z. There was a lot of people there who wished me a good trip home and I thanked them all for all their kindness while I have been in N.Z. I told them that they were a very welcoming parish and that was because their parish priest, Fr Bill, was a very welcoming priest. After Mass myself and Arnett were invited in for morning coffee with a few parishioners that I have become friendly with. After the morning coffee I returned Arnett home and then took the car back to the cathedral had lunch with the bishop and said my good byes to everyone there then spent the rest of the day with Arnett.

On Saturday morning it was packing and trying to keep the weight down with very little success. Still it wasn't as much as I went out with as I was down to 30 kilos which was a lot better than 45 that I came out with. At the airport I had to take my books out of the luggage and put them in my hand luggage which got me down to 25 kilos which was passed. Sylvia, Jim, Megan, Michael, Shelly, Joan, Siobhan and Arnett came to wish me Bon Voyage. As you can imagine it was sad, but not as bad as I expected as I promised I would return in a few years but not for so long. Then I said good bye to New Zealand and thanked God for the wonderful time that I had there.

My time in New Zealand has been very fruitful not only in spending time with my uncle but also refreshing my vocation to the priesthood. Here because I have had no responsibility in running a parish and all that goes with it I realise how much I like the ministry of priesthood. Practising my ministry in a parish and meeting all types of people and being open to their needs has been fulfilling. The hospital ministry, though I feel wouldn't be my first choice, showed me how important the hospital chaplaincy is. I think in this very material world we forget that there is a spiritual side that also needs addressing and a lot of the time needs healing, because of the church, or rather their perception of the Church. I always thank the Lord when someone takes up their faith again after years of mis-understanding what belonging to the Church really means. What I have also found is how consoling the faith is to people, especially when death is near at hand. The sacraments that they receive always seems to give them courage and helps them to accept what is happening to them. I have had many moving experiences with the sick and have been greatly assisted in my ministry by them. Their Faith has been an inspiration to me and I thank them for that. Hopefully I will come back to my ministry in Sandhurst and Crowthorne renewed and refreshed and ready to carry out God's work to all I meet. I want to thank all who have helped me during the last six months.