The EightThe Eighth Sacrament.htm

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THE  EIGHTH    SACRAMENT

  Fr. Geoff Aldous

FOREWORD

In 1979 I was asked to accommodate for a night Archbishop Thomas Winning of Glasgow, Scotland. He had come to our town, Port Hedland, as part of the 150^th Anniversary Celebrations of the State of Western Australia. The Archbishop and two other senior Clergymen, one Anglican and the other Uniting, were visiting a number of towns courtesy of the Government and giving public addresses as part of the programme. Next morning I hosted an ecumenical Pastors’ breakfast for the six Pastors in the area. We were having an informal chat after the breakfast and each asked the Archbishop in turn ‘how are things going in Scotland in our denomination?’ He responded to each and gave basically the same reply. ‘I’d like to have a good report for you but honestly you are not doing too well. Our Catholic parishes however seem to be flourishing and more vital. The difference and the reason seem to be that our priests are good at visitation, especially among the migrant workers from Ireland and elsewhere. They visit and get close to the people in their daily struggles and it seems to be really working. We call VISITATION the “Eighth Sacrament.” This made a lasting impression on me and my future priestly strategies.

The Archbishop was later made a Cardinal which made me feel quite important! I had the happy experience, twelve years later, of spending ten minutes with him in Lourdes shortly before his death. He was just walking around the pilgrim’s route like everyone else. He bore no external indications that he was one with such awesome responsibilities; he was humble and natural without ‘airs or graces’. He was indeed a “Peoples’ Priest”.

In the three Seminaries where I was trained Visitation was always encouraged: “Avoid being a Sacristy Priest! You can’t wait for the people to come to you, you have to go out to them” etc. At St Charles’ Seminary, Guildford W.A., where I began my journey to Priesthood in 1961, there was a Prefect two years my senior by the name of Geoff Aldous studying for the Archdiocese of Perth. We both received more formation by the Vincentian Fathers in Adelaide, S.A. He was ordained a Priest on the 3^rd of July 1965. I thank God for my ordination for the Geraldton Diocese two years later. Now after 42 years of priestly service in the Archdiocese of Perth Fr Geoff has volunteered to help out in our Diocese for three years. He is currently Administrator of the Cathedral Parish in Geraldton. He has thrown himself energetically into Visitation as I expected he would during this his first year. A few months ago I felt inspired to ask him to share his experiences by way of a paper or booklet.

I figured others might be inspired in their calling to be good ‘shepherds’ to their people, Seminarians especially might learn something for their future ministry and at the same time I could learn more from his experiences.

So I feel indeed privileged to write this introduction and I hope that many read these reflections. May the Kingdom of God and the Church be enriched in her “preachers and teachers” and visitors!

-Fr Brian Ahearn, Parish Priest of Dongara, W.A. on the 2^nd of April 2008.

P.S. Today just happens to be the 3^rd Anniversary of the death of the late, great Pope John Paul the Second, now Servant of God. And what a VISITOR was our late Holy Father! He made 104 trips outside Italy, the equivalent of going around the globe 49 times! What a role model! May Our Lord and Our Lady who were visitors ‘par excellence’ bless all who read Fr Geoff’s words of wisdom. On your behalf I thank him for taking the time to produce this paper.

Acknowledgments:

BRUCE McCLEARY

for his patient typing of the manuscript.

FR. BRIAN AHEARN

for encouragement and proof-reading.

HELEN LONG

for layout and final draft.

 PREFACE

          This is a personal reflection drawn from my own experience in pastoral ministry, so it refers primarily to parish visitation by the priest. It is not meant to downplay, in any way, the role of all the faithful to reach out to their neighbour, or the many other ways of being Christ to the world. It just happens that I had a very positive introduction to this aspect of ministry when I was a newly-ordained priest, and at a time when it was still a very important part of Catholic parish life in Australia. It’s something that I’ve always found fruitful and has made sense to me, so I’ve kept it up for over 40 years of priestly ministry.

          With some reluctance initially, I’ve been persuaded by a brother priest to put down these thoughts that may be of some help or encouragement to others. We can take for our model and inspiration the role of the Good Shepherd, expressed in the words of the prophet Ezechiel and fulfilled in Jesus:

       “For the Lord says this: I am going to look after my flock

        myself, and keep all of it in view… I will look for the lost

        one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the

        weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a

        true shepherd to them.”                               (Ezek 34:11-16)

1.     VISITATION – the tradition

       The Ministry of Jesus

        The ministry of visitation has a solid foundation in the Gospels, beginning with Mary, carrying Jesus in her womb, visiting her cousin Elizabeth before the birth of John the Baptist.(Lk 1:39-56)

        In His public ministry Jesus is often found in the homes of the people he reached out to, beginning with his presence at the marriage feast of Cana, the occasion of his first miracle. Other miracles too were worked in homes, as in the cure of the paralytic let down through the roof and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law at Capernaum. Amongst the excavated ruins of this town, not far from the remains of the ancient synagogue, there are the foundations of a house that is said to have been the setting for this miracle. The interesting feature is that the foundation stones are arranged in concentric circles. The story is that this was the place of an early Christian home church, and that as the numbers grew they extended the walls to take in the increasing congregation. However, whatever we might like to make of this, the Gospels indicate several times that Jesus went into a house in Capernaum – it provided a sort of base for his ministry in northern Galilee.

        Perhaps even more significant is the fact that Jesus accepted invitations to meals in the homes of the Pharisees, those who were generally resistant to, or at least sceptical of, the ministry of Jesus. This is featured particularly in the Gospel of St. Luke, who shows Jesus as reaching out to the ‘outsider’ or those who were alienated in any way. In one case the meal was the occasion of accepting and forgiving the woman ‘who had a bad name’ (Lk 7:36-50).  At other times, (Lk 11:37; 14:1) it was the opportunity for teaching and challenging the host and the other guests at the meal. In a different and very beautiful vein we have the picture of Jesus visiting his special friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus in their home at Bethany, just a few kilometres out of Jerusalem. We might like to think of it as the place where Jesus ‘felt at home’, a place he could drop in to for the equivalent of our ‘cuppa’ and ‘clean up’, especially on those long trips along the dusty road up to Jerusalem. Meals at Bethany were also the occasion of the ‘listening and serving’ story (Lk 10:38-42) and perhaps the anointing of Jesus before his death (Jn 12:1-8). It is quite likely, too, that Jesus spent the nights at Bethany during his last week in Jerusalem. (Mk 11:11ff)

 The ministry of the disciples

                                          The first mission that Jesus gave to the apostles was to go out on ‘visitation’ (Mt 10:1-16; Mk 6:7-13; Lk 9:1-6). They were to proclaim the ‘Good News’ of the Kingdom, heal the sick and cast out devils (signs that the Kingdom had   come in the person of Jesus). They were to go out two by two, indicating a certain accountability to each other,   and to rely not on material resources, but to trust in God’s providence. If they were to enter a house, they were to  stay there if they found someone who was trustworthy. This initial mission was not to pagan areas, but rather to   ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’, and while some would accept them, others would not. For ‘the twelve’ was good preparation for their future mission – to proclaim the Good News to the whole world. Luke’s Gospel  also gives an account of Jesus sending out seventy-two others to go before him, as a sign that the ‘Kingdom of    God is very near’. (Lk 10:1-12) They came back rejoicing in how the Lord

Sts. Peter and Paul and ministry in the New Testament

   In the early days, of course, there were no church buildings as we have them today. The early Christians ‘ met in their   houses for the       breaking of bread’ (Acts 2:46), as we might have a ‘home Mass’ today. The Acts of the Apostles record   how Peter visited the homes of the faithful, such as Simon the tanner (9:43), Cornelius (10:23) and the mother of  Mark (12:12).

 It was St. Paul, on his great missionary journeys, who really got around to establish Christian communities throughout the Greco-Roman world. These communities were initially fairly small and probably were able to meet in the larger homes of middle-class citizens (e.g. Aquila and Priscilla, 1 Cor 16:19; Nympha,  Col 4:15). As recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul visited and stayed in the homes of the faithful (e.g. Lydia 16:15-40; Jason 17:7; Justus 18:7).

 To more recent times

        So I’m sure visitation has always taken place in some form or another. Priests have always visited hoes of the sick. In cultures where traditional village life prevailed, the local Pastor would probably have known everyone in the town. He could do his normal ‘visitation’ just by walking down the main street. Then there was (and in some places still is) the tradition of the home visit for the Easter blessing. And in the less-established, ‘frontier’ or missionary areas of the Church, priests would have had more direct contact with people where they lived and worked. Not to speak of the ‘persecuted’ Church, where priests might have had to seek refuge in the homes of the faithful (e.g.  during the persecutions of the English Reformation).

The Australian tradition

        Some of the above have relevance to the situation of the early Church in Australia. Most of the Catholics were Irish and had come from a background of poverty and oppression in their home country. When priests came (mostly also Irish) they would have been very close to the people. They were also very few and far between, so before the establishment of churches and presbyteries they would have moved around from house to house or farm to farm, offering Mass, hearing Confessions, baptising and giving rudimentary catechesis to the children. In country areas, especially, this form of mission would have continued for some time. So from early days the practice of home visitation has been well grounded.

        Later generations of Catholic migrants from England came from a church culture that was very Irish and were used to their priests visiting their homes. People from other European countries (e.g. Italy, Poland) were used to the priest’s visit for the blessing of a home or the traditional Easter Blessing. In more recent times, Catholics from Asian countries, too, speak of their familiarity with their priests, who, they say, always seemed to be ‘dropping in to their home’ (I don’t know how they got around to so many families!)

        All these factors have contributed to the development of a strong, healthy tradition of parish visitation in the Australian Church over the last 200 years. Those who were ‘good’ or committed Catholics expected a visit, as did also, but for different reasons, those who were somewhat ‘lapsed’ or ‘careless’. If they’d been away from Mass, missed out on their ‘Dues’ or were sending their children to the ‘State School’, the Parish Priest would soon be around on their doorstep!

  The situation today

        Priests still visit parishioners in their homes for many different reasons. However, the practise of regular or systematic visitation seems to have declined greatly over perhaps the last 40 years (since the Second Vatican Council).

        There could be many reasons for this. With bigger parishes and increasing demands, both administrative and pastoral, many priests would say they just haven’t got the time or energy to go out visiting. Perhaps it is the prevailing culture, with the ever increasing pace of life- everybody’s too busy, they’re never at home! So it’s easy to say ‘you’re wasting your time knocking on doors’.

        Another factor could be the culture of suspicion and lack of trust in the Church and Church personnel, in the wake of scandal and abuse so highlighted in the media. So priests are reluctant to visit where they might find a woman or children at home by themselves. Others just might lack social confidence in venturing into unknown or unfamiliar territory, particularly in cases where the priest comes from another culture.

        Whatever the reasons, it’s mainly the older people who remember the priest’s regular visits. Most will say “We haven’t seen a priest in our home for donkeys’ years.”

2.         PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

      My home parish

       Without realising it at the time, I grew up in a very strong Catholic parish, in what some have called the ‘golden years’ of Catholicism in Australia (post – World War II, i.e. the late ‘forties’, ‘fifties’ and into the ‘sixties’). Moreover, it was a new parish in the days of my childhood, so I can remember Sunday Mass in the home ‘over the road’ and in the local tennis club, fundraising through ‘House Parties’ and the ‘Block Collection’ and serving at the opening Mass of the new church. Looking back, it was a very Irish parish, with a very popular Irish P.P., Fr. John Brosnan. He was my first mentor in the way of priestly ministry. I can’t remember him doing systematic visitation, although he probably did in the earlier days. In his latter years, when I used to drop in to see him when I was home on holidays from the Seminary, I can remember him standing outside the presbytery in Cambridge St. about 5:30pm (on the pretext of collecting the ‘Daily News’ paper) and waving to the driver of almost every car as they passed by on the way home from work. Some of them would stop for a ‘visit’ to the church and a chat with the P.P.; that was his way of keeping up with his parishioners. He must have known just about everyone in Floreat Park and what they were up to. If someone was sick or had a bereavement he was invariably the first one to appear on the doorstep. It was something my own mother never forgot, and it has stayed with me too.

  Seminary days

        In my 7 years of priestly formation we had very little pastoral training. The only time we heard about parish visitation was in the ‘Spirituality’ course, where it was presented in a very positive and definite way. In fact it suggested that “a curate should do several hours of visitation, at least 4 days a week” (quite a tall order!). Looking back over my old notes, some of the admonitions seem quite quaint, for example, “Visit all houses in the parish (excepting, of course, those that are notoriously bad)”; “If you must go early in the day, beware of embarrassing people by finding them ‘deshabille’”; “For good, regular Catholic homes, 10-15 minutes should suffice for a visit”. Not all the advice given nearly 50 years ago would be relevant today, but the spirit of the exercise was certainly there.

 As a curate – my first parish

       After a brief spell at the Cathedral, my first appointment as an Assistant Priest (‘curate’ in those days) was to the inner-city parish of Victoria Park, with an old campaigner, Monsignor Tom Lenihan, as my parish priest. It was here I did my apprenticeship in parish visitation, under a wonderful master of the craft. The ‘Mons’, as he was affectionately known (although he had a few other nicknames as well!), was a man of very poor health at the time. He used to say he wasn’t much good at anything else, but he could still knock on doors. And he did – systematically (after his ‘cuppa’) from 10am-12noon, 3-5pm and often after tea from about 6:45-8pm (to get people home in the ‘flats’). And I could see the results. Many a young couple came along to the presbytery for the required number of ‘lessons’ to get their Marriage ‘validated’ (he’d met them in the flats).

Mons. never told me how to go about it or checked on how I was going. He just said, “You can do visitation as well”. So I did! I divided the parish into areas, with a little booklet for each (which I still have), with the street lists and names and ages of all family members. It was a long curacy (5 years), so I had a very solid and thorough initiation into pastoral visitation.

‘Specialist’ ministry

       Any priests working in ministry other than parish used to be called ‘specialists’, and were often looked down upon by their brother priests who were doing ‘the real work’. Anyway, after my time as curate I found myself in full time ‘specialist’ ministry in an area that was broadly referred to as the ‘lay apostolate’. It encompassed such things as Y.C.S. (Young Christian Students), Y.C.W. (Workers), Catholic Nurses Guild, Christian Life Groups and Catholic Social Apostolate. For a time I was looking after part of a parish that had its own ‘stational church’. In this capacity I knocked on every door in the area and managed to get a few little pastoral groups going. It was a good exercise in ‘keeping my hand in’ and keeping me in touch with grassroots parish life. For another period of 2 or 3 years I was chaplain at a large Tertiary Institute. ‘Visitation’ in that situation was just moving around and being present to the whole campus, then getting together with groups of Catholic students and staff where I could. For the other apostolic Movements, visitation was mainly to the homes of the ‘key leaders’, getting to know them better and often working through what was happening and supporting them in their spiritual formation.

  Out on my own

        After 6 solid years in these areas of ministry I was ready to move out – and the opportunity came in a very wonderful and challenging way. I was given ’pastoral care’ of an area (a big area, though only about 100km away from the City) comprising an Agricultural Boarding School (where I resided), an R.A.A.F. Base, 2 little country towns and 4 fishing/holiday villages on the coast. I feel these have been the best years of my life, so far!

        The Airforce Base was just like a big factory, so my ministry there (2 days/week) was a bit like at the Tertiary Institute, moving all around the place and having access to personnel at every level (an advantage was that I had a pushbike to get around on – the “Chaplain’s Chariot”). After a while things really happened in that community, involving Service people and their families as well as people from the surrounding area.

        As regards the ‘country’ or rural sector of the parish, over the 7 years I managed to knock on the door of just about every house in the whole area. Once I got to know who the Catholics were, I was able to get back to them and visit on a more regular basis. It was a wonderful experience, getting to know the history and tradition and really ‘getting the feel’ of the place. And because there was very little other church ministry in most of the area, many people who were not Catholic turned to me in times of trouble or bereavement.

       Back to the City

        All good things come to an end (at least in this world) – so it was back to the city, in 3 parishes over the next 18 years. They were all very different. The first was large and very multi-cultural (60-70 nationalities), with lots of flourishing parish activities. The second was smaller and close to the city (I had some other diocesan responsibilities as well). The third was a very large (‘macro’) parish in the rapidly developing northern suburbs, also with a wide range of apostolates. In all cases I was able to keep up regular visitation, which I found most helpful, if not essential, to the development of the pastoral life of the community. In the largest of the parishes it was a fairly daunting task. It took about 3 years to visit all of the known Catholics (about 3000 families). In the first two of these parishes, visitation, after a while, became connected with a pastoral strategy know as ‘Neighbourhood Meals’. The parish was divided into areas of about 30 Catholic families. All in a given area were visited and invited to a Friday evening meal held at, or connected with, the presbytery. It took about two years to cover the whole parish, but was of great benefit in beginning to develop a sense of neighbourhood church.

 The country calls again

        Over the next 4 years I accepted the challenge of working again in the country, in two parishes that between them covered about 20 different communities or Mass Centres, over a greater part of the Central Wheatbelt. Again I loved visiting, not only in the towns – but even more so in the scattered farming areas, in some cases, knocking on all doors and invariably getting a very good reception.

        About this time, too, I took some holiday time (and it was a good holiday!), doing a Nullarbor mission, in conjunction with an Anglican minister who did the run once or twice a year. It meant going cross-country (pretty rough in parts) and visiting Stations, Road-houses and a few other isolated posts, between the ‘Trans’ railway line and the Great Australian Bight, as far out as the South Australian border. On a subsequent trip ‘across the Nullarbor’ I made contact again with a number of these people I had met previously.

  Heading north

        Over the last year I’ve been in a different situation again – ‘on loan’ to the diocese of Geraldton for three years, and based at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. The parish takes in the greater part of the city of Geraldton-Greenough as well as the surrounding countryside, with an outreach to some of the more outback mining towns (up to 1,000 kms away). So, pastoral visitation takes on another challenge, which I’m still in the process of working out. At this stage it means trying to develop a census of the Catholics in the town area and perhaps getting around the ‘hobby farm’ area that is developing to the south of the city.

3.     WHY PARISH VISITATION – the rationale

  The mission of the Church

        The mission of the Church is the mission of Jesus. Jesus reached out to everyone (cf. Lk 4:43). He cared for people in their needs (the sick, the hungry) and was interested in their lives (e.g. the Samaritan woman at the well). He came as the Good Shepherd, to ‘lay down His life for His sheep’ (Jn; 10:15). But there were other sheep as well (v.16). He reached out to the gentiles, as well as the Jews. But it was for ‘the lost’ (Lk 19:10), the poor, the little people that He had a special concern. So these must also be the concern of the Church (Vat. II, The Church in the Modern World, par.1), and for the priest as ‘a sign of the Church’.

   Particular benefits

        1) ‘G.T.K.’

When I was involved in the youth apostolate many years ago, Y.C.S. and other Christian Living Camps invariably began with a ‘Getting to know you’ session, known as ‘G.T.K.’. This was regarded as essential to the spirit and development of the whole experience. This was the way of Jesus, as the ‘Good Shepherd’. He said, “I know my own and my own know me” (Jn 10:14). The sheep only follow if “they know His voice” (vv. 2-5). I believe this is also the way it is in pastoral ministry. Unless you know people in their family, work, interests, gifts, and difficulties, it’s not so easy to call or involve them in the pastoral life of the parish. And what better way to get to know them than in visiting their homes.

        2) Developing trust

It may not be as easy as it used to be, but it’s still true that a priest has a very privileged access to the Catholic home. In some cases, particularly when they’ve been away from the Church, people may initially be a bit wary when a priest knocks on the door. But if the priest is not ‘pushy’ or authoritarian, this can very quickly break down, particularly with subsequent visits. Once a priest has been welcomed into the home a special relationship is established, which helps to dissipate fear and build confidence and trust for the future.

       3) Affirming vocation

Having had a very positive experience of working with people in the lay apostolate, I find visitation is a great opportunity for talking to people about their family, work, social activities and all the little things that make up the everyday life of lay people in the world (Vat.II, ‘The Laity’, par.2). In this the priest can affirm them in their vocation, helping them to see the good things they are doing and the value of their daily work in extending the Kingdom of God. There may be an occasion too when the pastor can point to something that is not quite right and where the Gospel can help to ‘purify the culture’ in which we live. It’s really an informal application of the ‘Review of Life’ method that was learned in Y.C.W. and other similar Movements.

        4.) Encouragement

Where people start talking about their daily lives, the priest can be a source of encouragement when things are not going so well. Sometimes people are trying to do too much, and the priest can help them ‘feel not so guilty’ about giving something up. This could mean dropping out of some ecclesial or parish activities, in order to give more time to one’s lay responsibilities. As much as we need people involved in the Church, we must never forget that the primary vocation of lay Christians, as ‘lay’, is to be a ‘leaven’ in the world, “seeking the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God” (Vat.II, ‘The Church’, par.31; cf. ‘Christifideles Laici’, par.15).

       5) Challenge

Having said the above, parish visitation may be an occasion when people can think more about what they’re doing, or not doing, in the life of the Church. Many people (in fact perhaps most) are slow to respond to a general call or invitation, but they can be helped to discern their gifts and respond to the movement of the Spirit in the deeper ‘desires of their hearts’. Many times on visitation I’ve seen people come to a decision to get involved in some ministry. It could be as simple as putting their name down on a roster (e.g., Readers, counters, cleaners), or in some cases it’s meant taking on a complete new ministry in the parish. Often people will say, “I’ve been thinking about that, but just haven’t got around to doing something about it.”

       6) Formation

On-going support and formation is important for the laity, as it is for priestly and religious vocations. I’m reminded of the words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah: “I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong”, but also “I shall watch over the fat and healthy, I shall be a true shepherd to them” (Ezech 34:16). Sometimes we take for granted the ‘good’ parishioners and stalwarts of the parish. We have a special responsibility for our collaborators in ministry. While there may be formal courses, training days and so on available in the parish or diocese, we can also do a lot to help them at the personal level. Parish visitation provides an opportunity to do this.

        7) Preaching

It’s been said that a good preacher has a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. In other words we have to know both the Word of God and the culture in which it is to be lived. I’d say that we also have to know the lives of the people who live in and are affected by that culture, if we are going to help them make the connection between faith and their daily lives. So what we pick up or learn while on visitation can be very helpful in our homilies. Of course you have to be careful about using real-life examples, but I’ve found that invariably the Readings of the Day have something to say to what’s happening in the local community. In fact, the more you get to know the congregation, preparation for the homily becomes easier and more satisfying.

  8) Building community

Visiting in a given area can be a great help in building a sense of Catholic community in the neighbourhood. How often do we hear it said something like: “I didn’t know there were any other Catholics in this street.” With due discretion, the priest can help put Catholics in touch with each other or perhaps facilitate little acts of pastoral care, e.g., dropping in to see someone who is housebound or offering to take someone to Mass. Visitation can also be an opportunity for people to ask or express a concern about something that is happening in the parish. A satisfactory ‘on the spot’ answer can often ‘nip in the bud’ the spread of rumour, misunderstanding or unrest that can otherwise simmer and begin to erode the solidarity of the community.

   9) Church Law

        This is not a heading that I would normally want to choose or go into in a paper such as this. However, because of its benefits, values and blessings, it is not surprising that parish visitation has found its way or been encoded into Church law.

        The decrees of the Fourth Plenary Council for Australasia, 1937, require a complete visitation of the parish to be made by the P.P. or his Assistants every year. They state in detail what should be done at such visitation, such as reconciling lapsed Catholics, urging the faithful to send their children to Catholic Schools, recommending to them the pious associations of the parish, dissuading families from reading unwholesome literature and introducing them to good reading-matter, enquiring about their frequentation of Mass and Sacraments, gathering other necessary information, etc. While these regulations are somewhat dated and not likely to be carried out in today’s Church, it is legislation that has never been rescinded.

      The 1983 ‘Code of Canon Law’ is more relevant for today – and it’s eminently pastoral. It’s worthwhile quoting from Canon 529:

      “So that he may fulfil his office of pastor diligently, the parish priest is to strive to know the faithful entrusted to his care. He is therefore to visit their families, sharing in their cares and anxieties, and, in a special way, their sorrows, comforting them in the Lord. If in certain matters they are found wanting, he is prudently to correct them. He is to help the sick and especially the dying in great charity, solicitously restoring them with the Sacraments and commending their souls to God. He is to be especially diligent in seeking out the poor, the suffering, the lonely, those who are exiled from their homeland and those burdened with special difficulties. He is to strive also to ensure that spouses and parents are sustained in the fulfilment of their proper duties, and to foster the growth of Christian life in the family. He is to recognise and promote the specific role which the lay members of Christ’s faithful have in the mission of the Church …..”

In some ways, this is a beautiful summary of the whole section above – the purpose and value of parish visitation.

       4. METHOD OF VISITATION

 Door to door

        The most comprehensive form of visitation is the total, ‘door to door’ approach. Of course you’ll never find everybody home, whatever time of day it is. Where I’ve tackled this I’ve normally been satisfied with a ‘once off’ approach. Coming back a second or even a third time is not very productive – more often than not you still don’t find anyone at home.

        This method of visitation is time-consuming and not normally very practical, especially in bigger urban parishes. It can be very beneficial and rewarding in rural areas, although these days there’s very often nobody home.  It’s helpful to ask from farm to farm if the neighbours are likely to be in or if there’s anyone still living there (it can save a lot of unnecessary gate opening).

        For all of this and in spite of time constraints, there are benefits in the ‘door to door’ approach. You meet a great variety of people and it helps to giou in and like to have a chat. This is especially true of people who are involved in other churches and probably don’t get a visit from theirve one a ‘feel for the community’. It keeps the Catholic flag ‘flying’, and you meet a number of people who appreciate the visit, invite y own pastor. Then you’ll always pick up new people who acknowledge themselves to be Catholic. This extends the parish census and gives you a chance to visit again.

       One of the towns I’ve visited this way is Wundowie – like a little metropolitan suburb, but stuck out in the bush about 60 km from Perth and surrounded by State Forest – a town that is socio-economically very poor (the ‘little people of God’). It took me several months to get around, and most of the time I was wondering what I was doing and whether it was all worthwhile. However, sometime after I left the parish, my successor told me very happily that it had really ‘paid off’ – there were people asking for the Sacraments for their children and the little Catholic community (only about a dozen people) were feeling a real sense of confidence in themselves and their role in the town.

       Visitation of ‘the flock’

        This is probably what we think of when we use the term ‘Parish Visitation”. It’s the systematic visitation of all the known Catholics in the parish. These are normally recorded in the Parish Census. In some parishes today, particularly if they are newer or bigger ones, there may not be such a census, or at least a very adequate or up-to-date one. If that’s the case, visitation can go hand-in-hand with the development of the census. You’ve got to start somewhere! That could be with a list of names of Key people, parish rosters, families enrolled in Sacramental Programs and perhaps Catholic Schools (we have to be very careful here, with today’s ‘privacy of information’ laws – it’s best to negotiate this with the School Principal).

        If the visitation is to be systematic, it’s best to do it in an ordered way. I normally break up the parish into ‘Areas’ then get street lists and maps of each area. Computers are a big help in this regard. You can select and print out the information you want (e.g. children’s names and ages) as you go about the job.

        I would normally announce in the parish Newsletter that I’m about to visit in a given area. This means that at least those who are at Mass will have some expectation that you’ll be around – it sort of  ‘breaks the ice’. When I’ve finished in that area I’ll announce that if you haven’t been visited, perhaps you’re not on the list (please let me know!) or that you’re hard to find at home. If people are not in on the first round I’ll normally leave my visiting card, although if I’m unsure of the people I may not do so. I’d drop in a second time, normally a little later on, and preferably at a different hour when I was in the area again. I might go back a third time, but I’ve found that after that it’s hardly worthwhile - in many cases they could be away for an extended period of time.

       Often on visitation you pick up new Catholics. They might have movedi n where previous Catholics had left (I’d normally ask anyway). Sometimes you can ask people (normally the more apostolic) if they know of any new Catholics in the area – often they’ll tell you anyway. Then there are times when you‘ll  meet people in the streets, or watering the front garden, or kids on bikes who recognise you, and you’ll pick up new Catholics or those who had not been on the census – ‘carpe diem’ (make the most of every opportunity).

 One final point – it’s important to visit all Catholics. As the old Seminary handbook said: “Beware of seeking out homes of pleasant, well-to-do or cultural folk etc., and neglecting the less attractive members of your flock. Our Lord would not act in that fashion! Face calmly the task of visiting even those who have reputations for being ‘difficult’ or inimical to priests. Sometimes you may discover that such reputations are undeserved …” – rather quaint, but still sound advice.

       Particular groups or occasions

        As well as general visitation there is often the opportunity for visiting particular groups of people or for particular purposes. These could include –

        1) Families in sacramental programs which are an important part of the pastoral life of the parish these days. In most cases, normally, the families are not regular Mass-goers, so it’s important to make the most of the opportunity. In more recent times I’ve endeavoured to visit all the homes of each child preparing for the Sacraments. You normally get an enthusiastic reception from the child, and the parents are expecting the call. Without it being a formal test or check-up, the visit can help discern the child’s readiness to receive the Sacrament and the level of the parent support. It gives parents the opportunity to ask questions or clarify certain issues, often personal (e.g. their marital situation or ability to receive Communion themselves). It’s also an occasion for affirmation and encouragement, both of parents and children. Children love to ‘show-off’ their little altar or ‘prayer space’, and it’s amazing the difference the expectation of a visit makes to the use of the home-study booklet -they know that you’re going to ask about it!

     2) The sick, housebound, those with special needs - the inspiration for this, of course, is Matthew 25: 35ff, as well as Canon 529 already quoted.

        I would include here people that are new to the parish, particularly if they are migrants, and also the bereaved. If someone has lost a partner or ‘loved one’, it’s good to follow up with a visitation within a few weeks, then perhaps again later on. All this can become fairly time-consuming in a busy parish, and it certainly doesn’t preclude the idea of working with, e.g. a ‘welcoming’ or ‘bereavement’ team.

       3) Other pastoral situations, such as workplace (‘Factory Chaplains’), Military Base, prison, School or Tertiary Institute, sporting or service arena (e.g. chaplaincies to a footy team or ‘the races’,  Surf Lifesaving Club, Police or Fire brigade)  call for a different shape or style of visitation (I’ve had a go in most of these areas). But the principle is the same – moving around as much as one can, meeting people, being ‘present’ and available, a sign of Christ’s and the Church’s concern for all people in every area of life.

        4) Special places or families, where a priest feels very much ‘at home’. The house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Bethany would have been one of these for Jesus, and, reading between the lines of his epistles, I suspect St. Paul had his favourite places where he liked to stay as well.

        For the priest too, particularly if he’s from another country or far away from family, it would be of great benefit to find a place he can feel at home. For many, this place could develop from a friendship with a family in a parish. However, whenever we may find that special place (or places) some people may think that we are showing favouritism or singling out just people who please us. Hopefully though, parishioners would come to see it as part of our human formation and development into the full Christian person Christ calls us to be.

     5. APPROACH TO VISITATION

Spiritual

        Our pastoral ministry depends upon, draws upon, and has to be fully integrated into our spiritual life. So before we go out on visitation it’s a good idea to start with prayer, ideally before the Blessed Sacrament (although I must confess I don’t always get around to this myself). Just as Our Lord sent out the disciples before Him, He sends us out to ‘break the ice’ and prepare the way for His deeper coming into the lives of His People. The sense of being a ‘fellow worker’ with Christ is very important for a priest (1 Cor 3:9).

Before we knock on the door of a house, there’s a lovely practice of saying (not necessarily aloud) “Peace to this house” (Lk 10:5). It reminds you that everyone is special, and that Christ’s peace is for all who are open to receive it.

        Then, when we return home, or perhaps in our prayer and reflection at the end of the day, we have so much to pray about. We praise and thank God for the way He works among His People. Sometimes it’s only when we see and talk with people at home that we become aware of their goodness and the precious little things in their lives. For example, I’m often surprised about how people tell me they pray at home, or in the garden, or with their children. There are many things I find a great source of inspiration for my own prayer life, not to mention all the things that come up and call for intercessory prayer. There are pains, sorrows and anxieties in everyone’s family life – things that could be noted on our personal ‘prayer list’ or perhaps be incorporated (with due discretion and safeguarding confidentiality) in the more general ‘Prayers of Intercession’ at Mass.

        So, at the end of the day we leave it all in the hands of God, confident, with St Paul, that if we can but ‘plant a seed’, someone else might water it, and God will make it grow (1 Cor 3:6). Blessed Mary McKillop, (herself a great example of visitation), put it very simply: “Do your best and God will do the rest.”

Finding the opening

        How do we start off?

             What’s the first thing we say?

                  How do we introduce ourselves?

        Obviously this will have a lot to do with our own personality and who we are visiting. Generally it’s best to ‘play it by ear’. But if I’m visiting ‘door-by-door’ and don’t know the people, and there’s no other opening offering, I would normally introduce myself as “a Catholic priest … just visiting in the area/or new to the area … wondering if there might be any Catholics living here.” If the answer is “No”, that could be as far as it goes. But often there’s the opportunity for a little bit of conversation (“I like your roses”, sort of thing) and sometimes (but not normally) you might be invited in.

        Where it’s pastoral visitation of all the Catholics it’s a bit easier. If they’re Mass-going they’ll know you and why you’re there. Or if they have children who recognise you from the Catholic School, that’s a big help too. Otherwise it’s just a matter of saying you’re doing visitation in the area – and let it happen from there.

       Welcomed in?

        These days, especially if you’re not known to the person who answers the door, you’re not always invited in. That doesn’t worry me, because we’re ‘on their turf’ and we have to respect their privacy. But often it happens that you can still have a good conversation at the front door, or on the verandah, and be quite relaxed about it. Sometimes, after talking for about twenty minutes, people will say “Oh, would you like to come in?” Bearing in mind that some people have had a negative experience of Church or priest, this could mean that they now feel comfortable enough to trust you – it could be the beginning of a process of healing. If that’s the case, it’s good just to listen to their story, without judgement or defence – the next visit could be the time to carry things further.

  Feeling at ease

        I’ve been into thousands of homes over the years, so it shouldn’t be too hard by now. I’d prefer to talk to people in the kitchen or where things are happening, but many people want to sit you down in the lounge-room, so be happy to go along with that. But if people initially seem a little bit embarrassed or uneasy, there are a few ‘tricks’ that you pick up over the years.

        If they say, “Would you like a ‘cuppa’?”. I would normally accept the offer because it can help to relax people if they’re doing something for you (like putting on the ‘billy’). You might add “…if it’s any easier, I’ll follow you out into the kitchen.” If you’re feeling a bit ‘tea or coffee-logged’, you can always say “Can I have a glass of water?” I remember some of the old priests saying they would never take food or drink when on visitation. As a rule I wouldn’t stay for a meal, although on occasions, when it wasn’t putting anyone out and it seemed just right, I have accepted the invitation. On the occasion, too, I might ‘succumb’ to the offer of a glass of wine or beer (especially on a hot day!)

        Another way to ‘tap into’ the things that are important in people’s lives, particularly of older or widowed people,  is through the photos that are often liberally displayed around the walls of the living-room. They could be pictures of dogs or pacers, fishing trips and trophies, sporting exploits, holidays or favourite things in nature. But what most people like to talk about are in their family photos – children and grandchildren. They speak with pride in their achievements, but also at times expressing concern and anxiety about problems or negative things in their lives. When people share these things with us there’s that opportunity for a word of counsel or encouragement. It can also be a time of great enrichment for our own ministry.

        Visitation is a time when we can show interest in the home (especially if something’s happening, like painting or refurbishment), in their dogs or birds, in their work and leisure activities. If there are activities going on, like children’s games or cricket in the backyard, it may be appropriate to join in for a while. You might go out into the garden or ‘veggie patch’ (full of praise and wonder, of course!), or talk to ‘hubby’ in his workshop. Apart from the other values involved in this, at least the priest may be seen as a little more ‘human’ (I had to ask to use the toilet once, and the little girl said “Don’t you have one of those at your place?”!)

 A little prayer

        Sometimes, although one wouldn’t want to overly press the point, there is an opportunity to offer prayer at the end of a visit. It might be for a family member who has died or is sick or is going into hospital, or some other need or situation that has arisen in the course of conversation. It could be for one of the children preparing for a Sacrament, or you might be asked to bless the house. In any case, to bestow a priestly blessing is a lovely way to leave the home.

       Some priests I know have made the offer, through the parish bulletin or a letter drop, to visit the home and pray with the family. I haven’t done this myself, but it is something that would be at the very heart of our priestly ministry.

       When to visit?

        This is partly determined by when you can get the time, and with life as it is these days, there’s no ideal time when you’ll get everyone home. For older or retired people it could be any time during the day - but not too early (some can’t get out of bed or get moving quickly) and not too late (many have early tea and don’t like answering the door towards evening), nor around lunch time (or perhaps rest time after lunch), and often not in the morning (when they seem to have medical appointments or social gatherings)!! For family or working people it’s even more difficult.

        I generally visit between about 3pm (if possible starting with the seniors or those more likely to be home) and 6pm. This would vary of course, according to the Season (in the middle of winter 5:30pm is about the limit, but in summer with ‘daylight-saving’ people can still be around outside and not thinking of tea even at 7pm). But generally you just use your discretion. There are some people you can visit at certain hours; there are others you can’t. The advantage of later afternoon or after-school time is that there’s usually (perhaps 2 out of 3 times) someone at home, even if the parents are running children back and forth from sport, dancing and all the other things they think they have to do. With ‘flexi-time’ and ‘fly-in/fly-out’ these days, more often than not it’s the father who you find at home. Anyway you just have to take who’s there. Sometimes it works out that it’s good to have a talk with a parent just by themselves. Sometimes the other will turn up while you’re still there anyway. Or sometimes they’ll ask you to wait till the other (or others if there are children) get home. It may be that you can ‘pop in’ to that house again, if needs be, on your way back to the presbytery. And sometimes I’ll do that when there was nobody in on the ‘outward run’ – I’d maybe leave a card, and if I had time and thought appropriate, I might drop in on the ‘homeward run’ (you can usually tell from the outside whether they’re home or not). This often works out quite well, and people don’t seem to mind (you can get away with it by saying it’s just a quick ‘hello’ – if they’re happy for you to stay a little while they’ll let you know).

      And for how long?

        There’s no set rule! Variables would include who the person is, the purpose of the call, the time of day, whether you know the person or have visited before, as well as the style and personality of the priest-visitor.

            If people do not seem particularly happy to see you, it wouldn’t be a very long visit (you can usually excuse yourself with something like “I’ll be moving on!” or “I won’t take up your time!”). But otherwise I find my average time would be about 25 minutes. If you accept a ‘cuppa’ it could be a bit longer. And, of course, if people want to talk more in depth about something, or if there is a special purpose for the visit, or if it seems pastorally beneficial, it could be longer again. But for a general visit I wouldn’t normally go beyond an hour.

How to get around?

        Weather can affect one’s mode of transport. In the early days in Australia, it might have been on horseback. In the real outback some priests (and bishops) have had pilot’s licenses to enable them to visit their far-flung parishioners and communities. These days most priests would have a car, but travelling ‘on foot’ can still be a good option, especially in urban areas where you’re visiting in a given location (‘around the block’ as it were) and that location is not too far from home. This, of course, can also be a means of healthy exercise.

        For myself, I normally (except in those extreme weather conditions) prefer the old push-bike. It provides both good exercise and the practicality of getting around fairly quickly and easily (no problems with parking and you can ‘cut corners’, cross parks, etc.). It’s also a better way (better than by car) of getting to know the area, with the added advantage of often meeting children and others in the streets – you can stop and have a chat, and sometimes meet new people or learn a few new things about the neighbourhood. It goes without saying that this mode of transport requires due caution on all our roads these days.

        In rural areas, of course, you need a good safe and reliable car (a 4WD can be an advantage in the outback). In my early days I did a ‘safety-driving’ course that included ‘anti-skid’ training which has held me in good stead. In fact I would advocate that the diocese ensure that every priest going to the ‘bush’ (especially if they’re from another country and have no idea of our outback conditions) be adequately prepared in terms of ‘driving skills’. This could be either through a formal course (Government and other agencies often require this for their new staff in country areas), or through some local help and support. The latter could be from perhaps a policeman in the town (some have offered to help) or a ‘seasoned’ farmer in the parish. This would include anything from advice about local conditions and protocol (e.g. ‘giving way’ to grain trucks during harvest) to getting some practice on gravel or slippery roads and being aware of the danger points. Other than the extra wear and tear on the car, there are a few other difficulties in the country that you might not think of. In one case I must have been parked over an ants nest, because I discovered a whole colony of them had set themselves up in or under my car (it was very hard to trace where they were lodged). Flies can be hard enough to get out of the car at times, but I tried everything for about 6 months before I got rid of the ants. Another hazard I find (maybe it’s just me!), in visiting farms, is when you have to reverse  out – it’s amazing how shrubs, old drums or fallen fence-posts seem to come up from nowhere (the bumper-bar bears testimony!)

      Further occupational hazards.

      Dogs.

I generally like dogs (and they seem to like me), but I have been bitten (usually just a nip, but enough to draw a little blood – and need a tetanus needle) a number of times – in fact I think once in each parish I’ve been in, up till now! So, while it’s a blessing not to be frightened of dogs, there are times when caution or discretion is called for. For example, if there’s an unleashed hound in the front yard, baring its teeth, or if there’s a “Beware the dog” sign that looks as though it needs to be taken seriously, I probably wouldn’t go in. If the owner’s in and the dog’s barking someone will normally come out anyway. If not, you can try calling out, tooting the horn (if you’re in a car), or just settle for leaving a calling card with perhaps a note in the letter-box (if they want you to visit they’ll ring back and make arrangements).

   2) What about the weather?

        This doesn’t normally deter me very much, but if it was 40 degrees celsius or pouring with rain all day long, ‘I’d give it a miss.’

 Other sensitive areas.

 1) What if other visitors are there?

        If I see extra cars out the front, this is where I would make a sort of instinctive discernment. If there were a lot of cars and I didn’t know the people very well, I’d probably give it a miss. If I knew the people and had some idea of what was on, I’d be more inclined to knock on the door. But if I didn’t know they had visitors before I knocked, I’d ‘play it by ear’. Quite often people love you to come in to meet their visitors – they might be family, or you might know them. If you sensed it was not a welcome or appropriate time, you can probably excuse yourself, with something like “We’ll catch up another time.”

 2) Or they’re just going out!

        Once again a casual apology would suffice. Quite often, it their ‘going out’ is not urgent, they’ll wait around for a while anyway, or they’ll readily let you know if they’d like you to come around another time.

        Along the same lines, if they’re busy doing something else (e.g. house painting), it’s just a matter of saying “Well, I won’t stay.” – but you don’t normally have to dash off straight away.

        It can be quite different in the country. Normally farmers are happy to stop and have a yarn, whether it be in the kitchen, the paddock or the sheds. But at certain times (especially seeding and harvest), it’s best to keep away. Not only are the ‘men’ flat out, but ‘the wives’ also are usually busy taking out meals, driving a ‘chaser bin’, etc.

 3) Women at home by themselves.

        For some priests this is an area of difficulty, but I don’t think it should stop us visiting. However, it does call for prudence and discretion. Usually these days a woman by herself won’t invite you in unless she feels comfortable about it – and you can usually pick this up. If I wasn’t sure about the situation, I’d just say something like, “I won’t come in, but it’s good to meet you …” and quite often there follows a comfortable conversation. Having said this, if you know the people, there’s usually no problem about being invited in. If there are children at home, of course, it makes it easier.

       For a particularly sensitive situation this story might be relevant:

          A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.

          Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote “Revelation 3:20” on the back of it and stuck it in the door.

          When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, “Genesis 3:10”.

          Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke out in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Genesis 3:10 reads, “I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked.”

Or children by themselves!

        I wouldn’t normally go in if there was one child or young person by themselves. If there were several at home it could be different, but I wouldn’t stay too long, and I’d leave a visiting card.

        5) Information and confidentiality

        This is not necessarily a difficulty, but is something to be careful about. Even when working on building up a census, I wouldn’t want to ask direct informational questions or write anything down while I was in the house. After a while you develop the knack of finding out what’s relevant, and I can normally remember names and things, at least until I get back home. Or if you need to, you can write any informational details down when you get out of the house (and around the corner!).

        Pastoral confidentiality applies to visitation as it does to other situations. Normally this shouldn’t be a difficulty, but you do have to be circumspect if people ask you about other Catholics in the area (as the old Seminary handbook says: “Do not let yourself become, nor earn the reputation of being, a collector and distributor of parish gossip.”)

       6. JOYS AND SORROWS

   Sorrows - I’ll start with these, because they are fewer than the joys.

       1) The greatest pain or sorrow for me, and I’m sure for other priests, is that so many people I visit I won’t see at Sunday Mass. Of course there would be many others, nominally Catholic, who are not known and don’t make it onto the visiting list.

        There’s always been a clerical tendency to categorize people according to the practise of their faith. So the parish census would record people as ‘P’(practising), ‘NP’(non-practising), and perhaps ‘S’(sometimes) or ‘E.D.’ (‘Easter Duty’ only) or ‘C.&E.’ (‘Christmas and Easter’).  But there was one category I used to see in my old parish census that took me a while to work out – it was ‘NDG’(no damn good – variously interpreted, as perhaps never at Mass, or no Easter or Christmas ‘Dues’)! I hope we don’t record things like this today, although we might be tempted to do so at times.

        I think the challenge is to try to see God’s goodness in everyone. And visitation does give us this opportunity, as we sometimes see some wonderfully surprising things in the ordinary lives of people at home. Everyone is called to be ‘holy’ through the circumstances of their everyday lives. Many may not make it to Mass on Sunday, but the potential and the promise is always there.

        As regards broaching the question of Mass attendance, I wouldn’t always do this on my first visit. Perhaps it could come up another time, later on. Many people will bring it up themselves anyway, indicating either their attendance at Mass or why they’re not going. Once people realise that you’re not there just to ‘chase them up’, they’re usually quite happy to talk about these things. It’s an opportunity to show that you’re in touch with their situation, but also to give them every encouragement.

        2) Then there may be the fear of rejection. Sometimes one can be put off by the physical signs, like “Beware the dog” or “Religious people not welcome”. In the latter case I wonder if that applies to me, and if I don’t know the people I’m usually a bit apologetic when they answer the door.

        I’ve found that outright rejection is pretty rare. A more likely response, although still not very common, is one of indifference (“not interested, mate” sort of thing).

        Once when I knocked on a door and asked if there were Catholics living there. The fellow pointed to an image of Satan prominently displayed and said “That’s the only god I know!” However, he indicated his partner could be Catholic, so when I was ‘doing the rounds’ again it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I knocked on his door a second time. On this occasion, however, he was quite friendly, and even wanted to make sure that I could speak with his partner.

1) The Scriptures are full of ‘the joy of the Lord’ (our rejoicing in the Lord, our God), but let’s not forget that God first rejoices in us: “As the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you” (Is 62:5). This applies to us communally, as His People, but also to each one of us personally.

        My great joy in visiting is precisely this – to rejoice in each one of God’s people, to see in them the reflection of His goodness, and to come to a deeper appreciation of who they are and the things that make up their lives.

       2) I rejoice in being called, by virtue of priestly office, to share in the role of the Shepherd Lord (Ezech 34:11-16), clearly fulfilled in Jesus. I rejoice especially in the privilege of going out to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Mt 15:24; Lk 19:10); then, on those special or blessed occasions, of sharing in the “rejoicing in heaven” of the sheep that was lost, and is now found (Lk15:4-7).

        It’s not that people come ‘flocking back to church’ just because you’ve visited them. In fact the fruits are normally slow to unfold. The first visit to a home is usually just an ice-breaker. It’s often on the second or third visit that there is more acceptance and things begin to happen.

        I remember once when I was an Airforce chaplain and had the address of an airman who had just been ‘posted’ to the Base. He was listed as Catholic, so, as was my practise, I visited him in the ‘married quarters’ one day after ‘stand-down’ (i.e., after work had finished). When he answered the door he was a bit edgy and resistant at first and didn’t let me in. He said he thought he’d been baptised as Catholic, but that’s about all. His wife, though, he said, was a practising Christian in another denomination and played the organ at church, so I might like to meet her at another time. When I went back again some time later he was a little more friendly and invited me in for a ‘cuppa’. After a while he started appearing at Mass on the Base, at first by himself, then a little later on his wife (who still played the organ at the other Service) and the two little children started coming with him. As time went on they became quite involved in the very active Catholic and other ecumenical activities in the local community. One day, after they’d done a Marriage Encounter Weekend, the wife came along to me very excited and said she felt she had to become a Catholic, which she did after joining a little R.C.I.A. course. From there on they were ‘full on’ Catholics, becoming involved, amongst other things, in Charismatic Renewal. Then they were transferred (posted) to another State and soon afterwards I moved on too. Many years later someone showed me an article in a national charismatic journal, featuring the story of the faith journey of this particular couple. When they went ‘back East’ they got further involved in the ‘Disciples of Jesus’ Covenant Community and ended up running a pregnancy support Home set up by the Community. But at the beginning of their story they spoke of “the persistence of this certain priest – the one who’d knocked on their door” … a little bit exaggerated, I thought, as though it was a strategy to ‘wear them down’. But the “seed was planted” and continued to be “well-watered”. When I had the opportunity of visiting them some years after this the husband was working as a parish secretary and the wife had been on mission to Russia. For me it was a great joy to see “the increase” that God had given.

       3) Another little note of joy could be mentioned here. It’s got to do with the timing – God’s timing – of that knock on the door. How many times does it happen that we visit just at that appropriate or providential moment, e.g., when someone is sick or in crisis, and they say: “Who asked you to come?”, or, “How did you know we’re here?”, or, “We were thinking of calling you, anyway”. More often, though, it’s a less dramatic affirmation that we receive, something simple like: “It’s really good that you’ve ‘popped in’ today.”

       4) Apart from the people you intended to go to, the exercise of visitation often provides the opportunity of meeting other people in the streets. It may be children, or parents with children, who recognise you, and, if prudent and appropriate, you can stop for a little chat. Also, especially if travelling on foot or by bicycle, you may notice things that are happening in the local neighbourhood – a chance to be alert to the ‘signs of the times’. Sometimes, too, people you are visiting may ‘tip you off’ about others who may appreciate a visit, e.g., a neighbour who is sick, or had a bereavement, or experiencing some particular need, a situation you may not otherwise have been aware of.

 5) Another sideline of visitation is when one has the opportunity to ‘take a break’ on the journey, especially when driving in the countryside. It might be just to stop and take in a nice view, or look at some flowers and birds, or ‘boil the Billy’ in the bush, or drive down to a beach and maybe even take in a swim. A favourite of mine when driving after dark is to stop and take in the stars on a cloudless night or the silhouetted trees on the horizon when the moon is up. Or just before dusk, when you get the beautiful colours in the sky or the golden glow on the fields ready for harvest.

       In urban areas, of course, the opportunities are not quite the same. However, on the push-bike, it can still be a delightful experience, riding home (perhaps taking a different route) at the end of the day.

       6) This brings us to the final joy – final in the sense of coming back home at the end of a good day’s (or a good few hours’) work – perhaps pointing to that final ‘coming home to the Lord’ on the Last Day (cf. Apoc 14:13).

       There’s a particular image of ministry that has a great appeal to me. It’s the image of a sheep-dog, that works with the master in rounding up the flock. Its main job is to keep the sheep going the right way, running around them and nipping at their heels (a bit like our job!). It’s the master who knows where he wants them to go, and the sheep-dog, to be effective, has to obey his orders (and that’s our job too!). But at the end of a hard day’s work we see the sheep-dog, panting happily, coming home on the back of the ‘ute’. And when the farmer takes off his boots and sits down to rest, the sheep-dog loves nothing more than just sitting at the master’s feet, happy that he’s been able to share his work and do his will …a beautiful image of how we, in our ministry, are called to share in the work of the THE Good Shepherd, and, in our prayer at the end of the day, simply to lay ourselves, and our work, at The Master’s feet.

7. CONCLUSION

       All in all, I’ve found parish pastoral visitation one way – a very wonderful way – of living out or ‘enfleshing’ our call to share in the work of THE Good Shepherd. It certainly helps (even when memory is not as good as it used to be!) to get to “know my own” and for “my own to know me” (Jn 10:14). And it can enable one to reach out further to “other sheep … not of this fold” (v. 16).

       Spelling it out a little further, it’s a way of helping to realise the prophesy of Ezekiel, or a way of working with the Lord for its ongoing fulfilment-

             ‘to look after the flock’, because one becomes more aware of their needs.

           to ‘keep all of it in view’, a role of overseeing, working towards the bringing together and building up of the community of faith.

             to ‘look for the lost one … and the stray’, welcoming these back home and ‘re-membering’ the Church as the Body of Christ.

            bandaging ‘the wounded’ and caring for ‘the weak’, the special concern of Jesus, and therefore of those called to carry on His work.

·             Watching over ‘the fit and healthy’, supporting, encouraging and nurturing those who are strong in faith, and are called to share their gifts with others.

       As mentioned in the beginning, this paper is not meant to suggest that it’s only the priest who can carry out pastoral visitation. In fact, “as far as possible, the laity ought to collaborate energetically in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the local parish” (Vat.II, “The Laity”, par. 10) – so why not apply to visitation.

       Some parishes set up a ‘Visiting Team”, whose members endeavour to visit and keep in touch with parishioners in different ways. Sometimes this is done through the personal delivery of a parish newsletter or journal. In other parishes it is through the establishment of ‘Neighbourhood Groups’, which in a more developed sense may take the form of B.E.C.’s (‘Basic Ecclesial Communities’). ‘Door-to-door’ visitation has also long been part of the apostolate of organisations like the ‘Legion of Mary’ (e.g., the ‘Peregrinatio pro Christo’). In more recent times it has taken on another form in the ‘Neocatechumenatal Way’ (in the ‘announcement of the ‘kerygma’ or ‘invitation to catechesis’).

       As a priest, I rejoice in all these different responses to the Church’s call to the ‘New Evangelisation’. We are all called to be Church, and we share together the Church’s mission. However, this does not lessen my conviction of the special role of the priest, by virtue of his sacramental consecration “configured to Jesus the good shepherd and called to imitate and live out his own pastoral charity” (‘Pastores Dabo Vobis’, par. 22). In other words, he is called to “make him (i.e. Christ) visible in the midst of the flock entrusted to his care” (ibid. par. 15). For me this call is wonderfully affirmed in the ministry of visitation.

       Mary, as ‘Mother of the Church’, and in a special way ‘Mother of Priests’, is our great model of visitation. When she visited her cousin, St. Elizabeth, she brought not only herself; she carried Jesus in her womb. In his own mother’s womb, John (later ‘the Baptist’) leapt for joy, recognising Jesus as the one who was to come, the one who would fulfil the promises God had made to his people. Mary was blessed by Elizabeth and responded in that beautiful prayer of thanksgiving we know as the ‘Magnificat’.

       We too, as priests, in visiting the homes of the people, have that great privilege of bringing Jesus to others in a sacramental way – the “Eighth Sacrament” of Cardinal Winning. We too can know the blessing that was bestowed on Mary. With her, may we rejoice in God our Saviour, Who, in spite of our lowliness and shortcomings, still wants to do good things in us.