Reverend Paul Lundrigan

By Justin Ryder, MUN undergraduate student

Background:

Born in St. John's, Newfoundland, Rev. Paul Lundrigan was one of four children who were raised by their parents as a Catholic family. Lundrigan was educated in the catholic school system run by the local Roman Catholic church at the time and was very engaged in the religious practices and observances of this tradition at home, school and in his local parish.

From a very young age he was actively involved in the practices of his church as an altar server, member of and eventually director of the boys' choir, the adult choir, assistant organist, lector, youth group member and parish council member. In time Lundrigan, having made church such an integral part of his life, decided that he would pursue the priesthood.

After graduating from Brother Rice High School in St. John's, Lundrigan earned an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He then attended St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto, which is one of seven colleges comprising the Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto. As part of the formation program for ordination, he completed an internship year back in Newfoundland at Christ the King Parish on the Burin Peninsula. He then returned for his fourth and final year of the Masters of Divinity degree and then came back to St. John's where he was ordained in May of 1988. Having served in several Roman Catholic parishes on the east coast of Newfoundland, Lundrigan is currently serving as Pastor of St. Kevin's Parish, Goulds and St. Joseph's Parish, Petty Harbour.

Current Work:

Rev. Lundrigan has been doing pastoral work at St. Joseph's and St. Kevin's since September, 2000. In Goulds, there are approximately 7000 Catholics, 600 - 700 of whom regularly attend mass, while St. Kevin's sees approximately 150 – 200 regular parishioners of the 600 – 700 Catholics living in Petty Harbour. Lundrigan's role, he explains, is to lead his parishioners in rituals which express their Catholicism, as well as to facilitate individuals' exploration of their faith. This latter role, Lundrigan considers, is especially crucial during life's intense moments; moments of both joy and anguish. Through marriages, births, illnesses, and deaths, Lundrigan works to guide his parishioners' in their reflections on life, love, mortality, and faith. In less extreme instances, Rev. Lundrigan also works to guide and encourage his parishioners' expressions of faith, whether through ritual or through deeper spiritual or philosophical examination.

More trying pastoral duties, Lundrigan explains, include organizational responsibilities, the maintenance of infrastructure, and especially the recruitment and preservation of volunteers from among his parishes' congregations. He cites fund-raising activities, as one such source of ennui. Lundrigan offers an analogy between his Catholic congregation and a family: just as individuals' lives and actions reflect upon and are inseparable from their larger families, parishioners' daily lives should not be divorced from their Catholic faith. Rev. Lundrigan does not wish for his parishioners to leave their faith at the church door, but encourages them to incorporate faith into everyday life and to recognize their Catholic identities and the shared values therein.

Aside from fund-raising activities, Lundrigan faces another set of difficulties in his pastoral work in being a part of the global Catholic Church. For Lundrigan, the tension between his freethinking and his responsibility to the Catholic Church is very present. Though he works to respect his responsibility to the Church, Lundrigan has often found himself in conflict with its official positions. This tension became especially tangible during an incident in 2003, when Lundrigan openly criticized the Church's anti-gay-marriage campaign in front of his congregation, and was publicly reprimanded by the archbishop at the time. Since the incident, Lundrigan reminds himself of his responsibility by reflecting on and advocating what he considers to be the real value of the Catholic Church. He explains that this value is found in the Church's core ideals, in its emphasis on supporting ones community and in helping those in need.

Through the visible dedication of his parishioners, Lundrigan finds great meaning in his work. He takes pride in the sense of community that he and his devoted parishioners are creating as well as in his parishioners' excitement about their faith. It is the enthusiasm, support, and connectedness of his community that convince Rev. Lundrigan that working to relate individuals to their faith, and his parishes to the Catholic Church are fulfilling and worthwhile.

Comments on Cultural and Religious Diversity in Newfoundland and Labrador:

During his studies at T.S.T. in Toronto, Lundrigan studied and worked with people of many different faiths, cultures, languages and socio-economic backgrounds, which he found stimulating and exciting. He appreciated this new experience and missed it when he returned to Newfoundland, which is much more culturally homogenous. While he sees a real value to the strength of culture that has been preserved in the lifestyle of Newfoundland, he also sees that this culture is constantly being enriched and broadened by its connection with people of diverse backgrounds. As a result, Lundrigan deliberately seeks out opportunities to work with individuals and groups outside of his religious and cultural milieu as he believes it not only enriches the culture of Newfoundland, but his ministry to Newfoundlanders.

General Information:

St. Kevin's & St. Joseph's Parishes
P.O. Box 520
Goulds, NL
A1S 1G6

Telephone: (709) 745-8183
Fax: (709) 745-8629
e-Mail: stkevins@nf.aibn.com
Pastor: plund@nf.aibn.com Parish Secretary: Patricia Hynes

Schedule of Masses

Weekends

• Saturday: 5:00 p.m. St. Kevin's, Goulds
• Sunday: 9:30 a.m. St. Joseph's, Petty Hr.
• Sunday: 11:00 a.m. St. Kevin's, Goulds

Weekdays

• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 7:00 p.m. St. Kevin's, Goulds
• Friday 9:30 a.m. St. Kevin's, Goulds

Sacrament of Baptism

Third weekend of each month.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Upon Request