Working in a Cultural, Spiritual Exchange

He sits in a padded office chair, quietly observing the other person in the conversation. His answers are clear and calculated.

After several years, he still approaches western Nebraska with an

Fr.C.P.Varghese is nearing completion of his first year at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Sidney. Prior to Sidney, he was in Bridgeport, Bayard and Dalton. In his eight years in the United States, he also pastored in North Platte, before coming to the U.S. from India.

“I came for a break from India,” he said recently.

He spent 20 years as a priest in India.

The differences between Panhandle Nebraska and his home town in India are vast. He comes from a city of about 12.5 million people, compared to the few thousand in western Nebraska. India is a culture of multi-religions, with Christianity accounting for only about 3 percent, he said. In comparison, the U.S. Is dominated by churches and Christianity. In India, “secular” is a term used as respect for all religions. Here, secular often refers to a system without a religion.

He came to the U.S. with a British English accident, which leads to some of his challenges: the language difference and the different use of words as well as words common in British English but not used in American English.

He came to the U.S. With a degree I psychology, having taught at a university. He still counsels students on line, and is a member of the American Psychological Association. However, he is not licensed to practice in Nebraska.

In India, arranged marriages are common. As well, family ties are very important. In comparison, western marriages are typically for love. He noted that the divorce rate in the U.S. is more than 50 percent. He suggests praying together when going at the end of the day should result in fewer problems. He added that in India, you love the person you marry, not marry the person you love.

He notes that people in western Nebraska are very individualistic and independent. The rural communities have challenges: priest shortages and available health care are examples.

He commends the people he has met in the area. He recalls when his treadmill quit working and the need was posted in the church bulletin that he was offered one; the same with his interest in an accordian.

He said priests should usually stay at a church for a limited time.

“I personally believe, if you stay at the same place for a long period of time, you are probably doing a disservice; people need to hear different homilies.