Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the USA

matters needs to emphasize that naming differences of cultural expectations concerning personal care does not mean a negative judgment on another culture. Differences are differences, and reckoning honestly with them contributes to ministerial effectiveness. This may also be a moment to raise the question of cultural differences concerning gender roles as well as the relationship between laity and clergy. At this juncture early in the process, the wiser course may be to share some of the differences and to express inter est in the customs and traditions of the new arrivals’ home culture. New arrivals need help in understanding the “ground rules” of their new home. Some rules are specific to a particular location, for example, with regard to smoking or laundry services. A likely source of tension will be food. It helps if new arrivals have access to familiar foods and spices. At the same time, the smells of those spices may bother other residents. Those who have previ ous experience with these concerns can often help achieve some balance and accommodation in mat ters of food within a house. More positively, the availability of food from the home culture can be an effective tool of welcome and respect. The first weeks should offer a review of the legal and policy documents provided before arrival. The receiving team should schedule a review of the doc uments. They can add details as needed and with the help of experts. For example, they might elaborate on child-protection norms and policies, which pre sume a US cultural context. In a poor country where personal space is a rare luxury, a priest or seminarian might have been accustomed to rooms where mul tiple individuals slept in close proximity. Arriving ministers need to understand that such a practice would be a serious boundary violation in the United States. To understand why this is the case, they need to have personal conversations and interactions with the receiving team. The receiving team also needs to help the receiv ing community understand the challenges of cultural encounter and help them adjust to the arriving min isters. For example, traditional cultures do not share the penchant for individualism common in US cul ture. Many international ministers express frustra tion with the loneliness of life in US settings. They also may not be accustomed to eating a meal alone. The first several months should also see a series of wider welcomes as individuals are introduced to various communities in the parish, community, dio cese, or eparchy.

furnished. A small gift can be an excellent expression of welcome. First meals in the new setting should include some element from the home culture. The goal is for the international pastoral ministers to feel honored and welcomed in word and deed. Pre-arrival conversations or consultation with others from the same culture can provide other ideas for the welcome. In these preparations for their first transition to their place of ministry, the preparation of and welcome by other clergy or religious in the receiving commu nity is of paramount importance. Establishing a strong sense of communion in the early stages of arrival will help form a pattern of inclusion and integration for the international minister in the receiving commu nity. When an individual experiences the challenges of a transition to a new culture, there will be a tempta tion to retreat into isolation. This failure to welcome or to engage will have serious negative consequences for the quality of ministry and the unity of the local community. The efforts described above must include the local clergy or religious in the process of welcome. Initial Orientation Initial orientation is a personal and structured pro cess. Those involved in this process need sufficient preparation to fulfill their role. Ideally, a team of at least three should help the newly arrived ministers in their first weeks and months. The three might include the pastor or supervisor of the place, a rep resentative of the receiving community, and a peer who might be another international pastoral minis ter who has already been serving. This small group may share responsibilities for the first several months. They can assist the new arrival with various tasks of adjustment to life in the United States, for example, dealing with a driver’s license, a bank account, and a car purchase or lease. 4 Because clerical and religious garb differ in various regions, new arrivals may need help in assembling a wardrobe appropriate to the new setting but reflective of their identity in the Church. Climate differences also dic tate what clothing is needed and appropriate. Newly arrived international pastoral ministers may also need help in understanding common US personal hygiene expectations. This is a common area of misunderstanding and tension. Obviously, it requires tact and sensitivity. Any discussion of these 4 A very helpful booklet entitled “Immediate Orientation of International Priests” is available from the Diocese of Orange. It lists a number of areas the newly arrived priest needs to negotiate in the first weeks and months after his arrival in the United States.

G-4 | Reception and Orientation