The Southern Cross, September 4 to September 10, 2013
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Running more than just the parish Becoming a priest means running a lot. These priests took that to mean something quite different and today can be seen running along the country’s roads and trails, keeping fit. CLAIRE MATHIESON learns more.
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ATHER Mbulelo Qumntu started running while in the seminary in 1999 with his friends. What was first a means to de-stress, running soon became more “serious, meaningful and purposeful during our theological training”. The seminarians started running races around Pretoria which gave the future priests “motivation and discipline”. “The effects and fruits of our running were easily identified as we had healthy bodies, mentalities and spirits. These fitted well with the seminary programme which had a goal of producing holistic priests,” Fr Qumntu told The Southern Cross. The staff at St John Vianney Seminary provided a great source of support and inspiration for men completing the marathons But once the runners left the seminary and were placed in parishes, the reality of running a parish and running marathons proved to be quite different. Today, Fr Qumntu is based at All Saints cathedral in Mthatha where the joys of the ministry crept in and the “dynamic pastoral life threw me from pillar to post”. The camaraderie that was built in the seminary run-
Fr Mark James running the Comrades in 2012. (From left) Frs Thembalethu Mana, Mbulelo Qumntu Mthatha and Bekithemba Tungo, lining up for this year’s Comrades Marathon in Durban. Fr Russell Pollitt (right) with Graham Wilson during the AfricaX trail-race. ning was a thing of the past. But leaving the seminary did not mean leaving the sport. Fr Qumntu said it took time to get back on the road but the running friends Frs Bekithemba Tungo from Eshowe diocese and Thembalethu Mana from Port Elizabeth had a score to settle: the Comrades Marathon. The priests no longer shared the same corridors; motivation to get on the road would now be a solo effort. “It meant that one had to dig deep into his self-motivation, discipline and efficacy,” said Fr Qumntu. Another challenge was the issue of time. “Pastoral responsibilities can be unpredictable in the sense that parishioners expect the priest to be on call right round the clock.”
Clothing, running shoes, travel expenses and race entries were further challenges for the priest from Mthatha—a diocese with no marathons. Fr Qumtu said it was thanks to the generosity of friends and parishioners that he was able to achieve these physical feats. The sport has also motivated Fr Qumtu in other spheres of his life. “Another importance of keeping fit is the fact that the priest is seen actively and dramatically preaching the gospel of healthy living. My parishioners envy me when they see me out in the cold early in the morning running. They approach me for tips and motivation. The bond, he said, helps him in reaching his parishioners.
The Prayer of Parents to St Joseph for the Children O Glorious St Joseph,
to you God committed the care of His only begotten Son amid the many dangers of this world.
We come to you and ask you to take under your special protection the children God has given us born and unborn.
Through holy baptism they become children of God and members of His Holy Church.
We consecrate them to you today, that through this consecration they may become your foster children.
Guard them, guide their steps in life, form their hearts after the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
St Joseph, who felt the tribulation and worry of a parent when the
Child Jesus was lost, protect our dear children for time and eternity.
May you be their father and counsellor. Let them, like Jesus, grow in age as well as in wisdom and grace before God and men. Preserve them from the corruption of this world and give us the grace one day to be united with them in heaven forever.
Amen.
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s Christians we believe that our bodies are sacred and so we should take care of them. It is good for priests to try and live a balanced lifestyle—this includes exercise!” said Fr Russell Pollitt SJ, a keen runner from Johannesburg. “I also think that physical exercise is important for the mind and the spirit, and if priests are going to minister in a healthy way to people’s minds and spirits then physical exercise is important. Life is about learning balance and I think that this is part of it.” Fr Pollitt said during formation one is encouraged to live a balanced life—rest, study, ministry, social and exercise—but this can soon be forgotten amongst the stress and busy lifestyles we lead today. He said modern technology has not helped encourage us to be active and many of us live sedentary lives. It’s just another reason to exercise. “I enjoy the running. [It’s a] time to think, clear the head, and socialise with others from the club I belong to. It’s also great just to get out and see the world around and smell the early morning smells! It gives me space and sometimes helps me cope with frustrations and irritations.” The Jesuit admits that finding time to exercise inbetween pastoral duties is not easy. “But I also know that I was more effective and happier when I did carve out some time for exercise. I felt much better. The times I allowed it to slip I got irritated more easily and became short with people.” Fr Pollitt has used his running to help raise funds for his parish. For the past two years, the running Jesuit has tackled some of the Western Cape’s most gruelling mountains in a trail race called AfricaX where runners cover 90km over mountains and hills in three days. “There is a freedom and complete peace I find in the bush and on the trails like AfricaX. For hours my thoughts and reflections on life, love, God, meaning and purpose are processed in a setting no camera can capture. The deafening silence, the sand crunching below running shoes, the call of the birds, the rivers and streams and the wind blowing the heads of the pine plantations up above and the sea breaking in the distance is the perfect setting for a ‘soul moment’.” But as much as a personal journey running is, it is also a social sport and often crossing a finish line is a team effort. “The support and camaraderie when you think you may not actually make the last few exhausting kilometres is amazing. There is another side of humanity one sees in this endurance test. Strangers meet, come together, exchange stories and support each other as they try to conquer the power of nature and their own physical and psychological limitations.” For Fr Pollitt, there are a number of parallels between trail-running and the spiritual life. “Both require huge commitment, both require long hard climbs in shaded valleys that offer little view. Both reach their high points and offer amazing in-
sights and views of the world below. Both never finish on the top but lead us back down into the valleys and towns where life is busy and bustling. Both leave us consoled when we reach the finish line every day but also point to the next stage, the next day, which will have challenges of its own and perhaps steeper ascents and descents as the day and life unfold.”
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ominican Father Mark James might not have always been a priest but he was always sports mad. Coming from a family that encouraged sports, he played football, cricket, hockey and tennis. It was in the early 1980s when at Wits University that the future priest took to the road and in 1988—when at St Joseph’s Scholasticate in Cedara— running became a way of life for the priest. Fr James ran his first Comrades in 1989. “It was a down-run”—when runners start in Pietermaritzburg and end in Durban—“and I swore I would never do it again, but I was back the following year doing my best time of 8 hours 55 minutes”. Over the years, Fr James has finished eight Comrades after ten starts. “Running for me is personal time,” Fr James told The Southern Cross, adding that it is often difficult to find the time to train with others due to the responsibilities of being a priest. “It is a drawback at times because training with a running mate helps to keep one disciplined. The companionship assists one to stick to one’s training schedule too,” he said. “I find that religious life and ministerial life have their own rhythms. It is difficult to coordinate this with finding time to train as well as run races.” In order to run the Comrades, one must complete a qualifying marathon within a certain time. Most races take place on Sunday mornings—a time when most priests are saying Sunday Mass. Fr James said it is with careful planning and the odd Saturday race that he has been able to get his qualifiers in. The Dominican believes it is important for priests to keep themselves in shape. “Ministry is a stressful task in today’s world. Exercise is a healthy de-stressor. When I am fit, I find that I can deal with challenges more easily.” However, Fr James knows how difficult it is to exercise when stressed. “Exercising is usually the last thing you feel like doing. You would prefer rather to plonk oneself in front of the TV with some comfort food and relax.” He adds the drawback is that it is difficult to get back on the road after picking up a few extra kilograms. Keeping up with running is not easy. Fr James took an eight-year break after losing enthusiasm and dealing with a challenging ministry where he travelled often. Three years ago, he got back on the road—not only running but also cycling. “I realise now how much I have missed the joy of being on the road and feeling fit and experiencing the runner’s high.”