It’s about PEOPLE!! - Fr. Kevin Mullins
The rector in my seminary days, Bill Moran often reminded us the priesthood is “about PEOPLE!!”
He was, and is, so right!
Reflecting on almost 27 years as a Columban missionary priest, I have a great sense of satisfaction at the opportunities which I have experienced.
I have remained in ministry basically because I have had the privilege of knowing so many noble, fascinating and gracious people.
As a priest I have had an extraordinary viewpoint from which to witness the bravery of people in their daily lives, lives that have been fraught with challenge, danger, sickness, routine and joy.
I have found myself in places and with people who have welcomed me so warmly into their lives that I still marvel at their patience and friendship.
This is not to say the road hasn’t been difficult and challenging with its errors and personal stupidities. However, the privilege of living with people in the slum areas of Santiago, the exciting originality of living in southern Chile with the indigenous Mapuche people, the years spent in the memorably gory emergency room of the J. J. Aguirre Hospital and here on the border of the United States and Mexico in the Corpus Christi parish of the Ciudad Juarez diocese in the desert vastness of the State of Chihuahua could only be described as “the cream on the cake”.
I have had and continue to have an exciting, painful, fascinating, wonderful, miserable, joyous, loving and funny life, and, along with the errors, at least have the overwhelming sense that God has been good to me and that I made a wise and life-giving decision to be a Columban missionary priest.
Fr. Kevin Mullins SSC spent many years in Chile before moving to the border between Mexico and the USA.
"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Mt 9:35-38)
