Papakura parish priest Fr Peter Murphy has been appointed as spiritual director of Holy Cross Seminary.
Fr Murphy, who will start in his post early next year, said he will be sad to leave his parish, but he is open to this new opportunity.
“I was not looking for a move. But I am getting to that retirement age or close to that. Do I just hang on here forever till I drop? What do I do? I have been in that frame of mind, discerning when to let go,” he said.
Papakura parish, where he spent 15 of his 50 years of ministry, is his “spiritual home”, he said. The bond between the priest and the parishioners is sacred.
But the role of spiritual formator is also sacred, he noted. He sees his role as “just being there, being available, and just encouraging as far as their prayer life is concerned”.
“Particularly when you’re starting off, you need a lot of encouragement, because it’s not easy. It is far easier to give up…
