New St. John's archbishop says he's entering role with open ears

The incoming archbishop of St. John's says he plans to begin his new role by listeningto the experiences and concerns of Catholic priests and parishioners, before deciding what the priorities are for the future of the archdiocese.

Peter Hundt willbe installed as archbishop in a ceremony Tuesday evening in St. John's, replacing former Archbishop Martin Currie, who retired in December. Hundt was previously the bishop of Corner Brook and Labrador.

Hundt said he plans to spend the nextcouple of years speaking with parishpriests one-on-one, as well as greetinglaypeople at the doors of churches in and around St. John's.

"I'd like to do that within the context of weekend masses. It gives me a chance ot meet people at the door, talk to them before and after mass," Hundt told the St. John's Morning Show Monday.

He began that process of listeningTuesday morning, by meeting with his predecessor's advisors in the hours before his installation ceremony at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist.

Thought seminary wouldn't stick

Hundt was raisedCatholic on a farm in Bruce County,Ont. He decided to enter the seminary after high school, though at the time, he said, he didn't expect the commitment would be long term.

"The longer Iwas in the seminary, the more it just became clear to me that this was where Iwas being called," he said.

Ordainedin 1982, Hundt was appointed an auxiliary bishop in Toronto in 2006, and served there until appointed as bishop forCorner Brook and Labrador five years later.

A year ago, then-St. John's Archbishop Currie informed the nuncio the Pope's representative in Canada of his intention to retire when he turned 75 on Dec. 11, 2018, setting in motion a search for his replacement.

"At that point, then the nunciostarts to investigate who would be the right choice to replace the archbishop," Hundt said.

That investigation then involves aquestionnaire,sent to a number of people in the church to gather recommendations for a replacement.The list of potential replacements is reviewed and narrowed, until a recommendation is presented to the Pope for his approval.

Church as family

Hundtcomes to the archbishop role at a time when many around the world are calling for change in the Catholic church, from greater inclusion ofLGBTQpeople toaccountability for abuse scandals.Even his predecessor questionedcelibacy restrictions for priests.

However, the church's use of family imagery and metaphors is one of its strengths and something that provides a framework for these issues, Hundt said for example, in coming together to help support abuse victims.

"In a family, the big thing is being there and being willing to listen, being willing to support, and that's what we need to do as a church as well," he said.

The public is invited to attend Hundt'sinstallation as archbishop at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Hundtwill also continue to cover the Corner Brook and Labrador diocese until a new bishop is named there later this year.

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