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G-4 | Reception and Orientation
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.
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.