'Exchange priest' serving in Albany

Down under has come up over.

Rev. Brian Winders of New Zealand has traded places with Rev. David Noone, pastor of St. Francis de Sales parish in Albany, and will be in the Albany Diocese for five months while Father Noone serves at his counterpart's New Zealand parish.

"I'm having a great time," Father Winders told The Evangelist. "The parishioners here are friendly and helpful."

This is the second time Father Winders has lived outside of New Zealand. "Our diocese has a policy to send people to missions," the priest explained. "I spent five years on Cook Island. I was the only white person on the island. I came home with an appreciation of Polynesia. You learn more when you're there. You receive more than you give."

He said that other priests who went to missions also brought back the culture and programs of the countries they visited. Some were then adapted to the needs of New Zealand Catholics. He hopes to do the same after his Albany experience.

According to Father Winders, the issues facing the Church in New Zealand are the same as some of those facing American Catholics: the priest shortage and the role of women.

While others worry about those issues, Father Winders doesn't. "God provides," the priest explained. "He'll provide for the ministry. We shouldn't worry too much about this. We should pray about it."

His New Zealand parishioners have other concerns as well. "Their main concern is for their own family," he said. "We [Catholics] are only one in seven; we're in the minority. It's a struggle to maintain Catholic character in school and society. It's hard to be a Catholic in a sectarian world."

However, the prime minister of New Zealand is a Catholic and father of ten. "He's a good man," Father Winders stated. "He's supported by his wife, who is a true pro-lifer."

His parish, Star of the Sea, is located in the town of Port Chalmers, on the coast of the South Island. While the nation's main industry is agriculture, his town has a large number of longshoremen known as "wharfies." Due to government contracts and quotas, many of the "wharfies" are out of work.

Despite that, he describes his parish as "heaven. It's a small parish, and I'm a hospital chaplain. I travel to a 400-bed hospital every day. I spend the rest of the time in the parish. We have a Catholic school with 60 children and three teachers."

For those who don't know too much about New Zealand, Father Winders provided highlights of the history and culture of the country:

* "We were the first country to give women the vote, the first country to go anti-nuclear, the first to introduce social security. And presently, we hold the America's Cup."

* Horse racing is big in New Zealand, he said, noting: "We have a special TV station for racing." The country exports horses to Australia, South Africa and Asia. "People love New Zealand horses," he said. "It's a big business."

* The country's main export is food. "We virtually exchange goods from the land for manufactured goods," he said.

"I worry about driving the car on the wrong side of the road and getting lost," he admitted. [[In-content Ad]]