Transcript
One of the experiences that I really value was I got to go to mass at the church in Balibo every Sunday. It's a Catholic mass, I was brought up in a Catholic tradition, and I'd go there, mostly by myself. And I’d bring my weapon and my webbing, and I put it to the side of the church and then I'd sit in the pews and it was conducted in Tetum, of course, all the rhythms are the same.
And so I go up, and I get communion and then one of the things that was really striking, that has stayed with me for a long time, as the service would finish, the priests would be outside, the normal thing is to say thank you for the service to the priest and I do that, and then I'd stand, it happened the first time, which kind of surprised me, but then it happened mostly every time I went to mass after that, but I'd stand around, and I could see the parents send the kids up.
And the kids would get the priest’s hand and would kiss his hand, kiss his ring. And then they come to me and kiss me, kiss my hand as well. And it was quite an emotional experience of their gratitude for our presence there. I felt quite uncomfortable at the time that they were sort of giving me that honour but then I kind of felt it was kind of a responsibility in that I was participating in their service.
And they were grateful for that, you know. I spoke very, very rudimentary Tetum and struck up a friendship with a couple of the boys and we exchanged sort of our, not letters, but our sort of English and Tetum learning books and it was a really poignant experience for that part of the deployment.
