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Reception and Orientation | G-7
function in the United States. With effort, progress
can be made.
The second concern has to do with how
Americans understand or fail to understand the
pronunciation of those who speak English as a first
language (for example, Irish, South African, or East
Indian) but with their own distinctive pronunciation.
And certainly, the question of pronunciation also
arises for those whose first language is not English.
Ideally, international pastoral ministers move toward
a pronunciation that is more readily understood by
American ears. The challenges to achieve this are
formidable. Discipline and hard work may not pro-
duce the desired results.
7
National or even regional programs for both sets
of linguistic needs may not be feasible, unless they
include the extensive use of distance learning tools.
The ongoing nature of language and accent training
indicates that such programs are most effective when
they are locally accessible and adapted to individual
needs. Distance resources might supplement such
local efforts but cannot substitute for them.
Cultural Orientation for Receiving
Communities
If the reception process is to be truly mutual, then
curricula and programs to prepare receiving commu-
nities are needed. Such efforts should be directed to
those colleagues who will work most directly with
the international pastoral ministers such as priests,
deacons, parish staff, and confreres from their own
cultural community.
In this context, distance learning tools are
important. General clergy conferences or faculty
training days to teach intercultural competency
are quite feasible. Formal and ongoing programs for
whole parish communities are not so feasible. For
these communities, the application of distance learn-
ing tools makes this training possible and practical.
Catholic educational centers with an expertise
in multicultural issues can develop multimedia les-
son modules for online delivery to pastors and parish
staff. Similar modules can address leadership in the
parish, such as parish councils or parish volunteers.
The same kind of resource could be available to the
entire parish though the parish website. The lessons
can present the culture of the international pastoral
7 This may be another area in which Catholic social service organiza-
tions have experience in assisting immigrants. These organizations
may be consulted for advice or assistance.
minister who is to arrive in the parish. The lessons
need not be long and could be presented in five to
ten minute modules. Adaptations to the local sit-
uation, such as a profile of the international priest
who serves or will serve in the parish, can easily be
included in the modules.
These modules offer the receiving community
a sense of an international minister’s home culture.
This information helps to avoid the misunderstand-
ings that can occur in the encounter between persons
of different cultures. In the long term, the purpose of
the modules would be to facilitate the bond between
the international minister and the receiving com-
munity. To achieve this, personal witness and inter-
personal exchange are crucial elements, in addition
to the distance tools.
Stage 4: Ongoing Support
It is not possible to achieve full intercultural compe-
tency with a program of a week or two. The reception
process must be seen as a long-term commitment of
both the international pastoral ministers and the
receiving communities. Once the formal orienta-
tion program and follow-up have been determined,
the receiving communities need further support
structures for their international pastoral ministers
in the United States. The following structures are
highly recommended:
Peer Support Groups
International pastoral ministers already serving in
the United States are among the most important
resources for new arrivals. Encouraging peers from
various countries or regions to meet and support one
another in person and through social media provides
new arrivals with safe spaces, not unlike ethnic neigh-
borhoods, restaurants, and associations found in many
American communities. The newly arrived minis-
ters can enjoy the comfort of food from home, have
a chance to speak their own language or dialect, and
hear from others who have made the transition to life
in the United States. Peer groups offer a less threat-
ening environment for asking questions or expressing
frustrations. An added benefit is that the experienced
international pastoral ministers who guide newcom-
ers may find that this effort binds them more closely
to their own ministerial community in the United
States. People learn best when teaching others.