How to welcome a priest to your parish
SALT LAKE CITY — On Aug. 7, the 2013 Diocese of Salt Lake City priest assignments will take effect. Seven parishes in Utah will welcome new pastors and/or parochial vicars.
"Both for the priest and for the people, it’s a time of change," said Father Martin Diaz, chairman of the diocesan board for ongoing priestly formation, which helps the Vicar for Clergy aid priests who are transitioning in the diocese.
Fr. Diaz is among the pastors with new assignments, moving from Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale to the Cathedral of the Madeleine.
"There’s going to be a time of disruption," not only for him but for the parish, Fr. Diaz said, adding that that will be true for every community receiving a new priest.
To smooth the transition, parishioners can offer to help the new priest with the move, and "use the language of hospitality, of welcome," Fr. Diaz said.
One concrete way parishioners can help is to introduce themselves by name the first several times they greet the priest, who is meeting hundreds of new people, Fr. Diaz said.
He also suggested giving the new priest time to settle before dinner invitations are extended, "although a nice plate of cookies or dropping off a small lasagna couldn’t hurt."
For priests who are new to the diocese, even simple information like the location of the grocery store is helpful, Fr. Diaz said.
"I know that when I move to a new community, there will be challenges," said Father Albert Kileo, who transferred from Vernal to Helper last year. He suggests that key people in the parish, like the president of the parish council, help the priest learn how the parish is run and offer information about the community.
Many priests come to Utah from other countries, so they are learning to adjust to life in the United States. Father Tai Nguyen, now parochial vicar of Saint George Parish, recalls that the informality of American culture was difficult for him because he is originally from Vietnam, where there are strict rules about how to address elders and those in authority. He also struggled with the language, and still works with a tutor on pronunciation.
He laughs as he recalls his first days as a parochial vicar, when parishioners would compliment his homilies. After three years, the praise has changed from "I understood you" to "I understood your whole homily!" he said. He suggests parishioners be honest with their comments and not offer false praise.
Many priests who are not native English speakers often work with tutors on accent reduction and to learn American idioms, Fr. Diaz said, adding that they might welcome the offer of help from a parishioner with experience in this kind of instruction.
"I think that the priest wants to be understood. He’s not preaching for himself, or saying Mass for himself," Fr. Diaz said. "You could gently say what the difficulties are, and offer a suggestion for improvement."
A good approach to the time of change is patience, generosity and kindness, Fr. Diaz said.
"Based on my experience and other priests’ experiences, a nice warm welcome would be, number one, kindness, and to help the priest in any way possible," agreed Father Javier Virgen, who began as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Magna in 2012. His previous assignment was as vicar for Hispanic Affairs/associate vocations director.
"Communication is very important," Fr. Virgen said. For example, in Hispanic cultures, if a priest is asked for a house blessing, that typically includes a gathering of the extended family, and the priest always stays for a meal, "but in the United States this is not the case," he said, so talking with the priest about expectations is critical. "And, of course, pray for them every day."
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