Priest Profile FR. PETER SHORT REFLECTS ON LIFE IN REMOTE ARGENTINEAN VILLAGES, MEETING THE POPE (TWICE!), AND WORKING WITH VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES Bringing the Sacraments to remote missions and families, managing finances, helping to run schools or teach religion classes – all in a day’s work for a priest of the Diocese of Gallup. When Fr. Peter Short transferred here after 31 years of service in Argentina, he encountered many of these challenges, and more. Fr. Short was raised in the United States and ordained a priest of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, where he served for 20 years before discerning that he was better suited to work as a diocesan priest. Because of his connections through his sister, Cathy McCarthy, who works as the diocesan grants coordinator and archivist, when he ultimately decided to return to the United States, it was to the Diocese of Gallup. He currently serves as both a Vicar General for the diocese and as pastor in Winslow, AZ, a town with long and painful ties to the abuse crisis. Here, Fr. Short has labored to repair the relationship between the town and the Church, to minister to the needs of the diocese as a whole, and recently, to build a Hispanic Ministry program. In January of 2018 he sat down for an interview with The Voice of the Southwest and reflected on the hardships and joys of his priestly vocation. Please tell us a little of your background, and how you ended up in the Diocese of Gallup. “I went into the [Oblates of the Virgin Mary] largely because of my brother [already an Oblate], and because I wanted a good order and good formation.”
Fr. Short notes that priests in his diocese in Argentina had no formal salaries or insurance coverage. “I lived with what the people gave me, with what I could muster.”
Undertaking the rigorous safe environment training in the United States, especially the procedures in response to the abuse crisis, was also a new experience. Was there an equivalent crisis in Argentina? “Not as big as we have here - at least not yet and I hope they don’t. “In Chile there was, but my understanding is that in Argentina it’s not as many cases and that many situations that have come up.”
(Editor’s Note: A recent report on abuse in Argentina found 63 cases of abuse reported over the past two decades. Authorities in Chile are currently investigating at least 166 cases.) “I remember coming into the [Gallup] Diocese, the bishop asked me was that because people were afraid of denouncing or it just wasn’t as big? I can’t say for sure, but I’m hoping it wasn’t as big. I think overall the society’s a little more healthy there, more down to earth, very family oriented. They’re very warm - people express themselves in a very healthy manner.” Do they have a large number of Indigenous peoples in Argentina?
Eventually Fr. Short discerned that he was better suited for life as a diocesan priest. “When I entered the Archdiocese of Cordova [in Argentina] I did so with the understanding with the Archbishop that eventually I would probably ask to come back [to the United States] because my parents were still here and getting older and I wanted to be a bit closer to them. “Although I was accepted in my own diocese in Bridgeport, Connecticut, I thought it would be better to go into a diocese which was poorer, more in need of priests, more missionaries, and so I thought of this diocese since my sister was here.” Now that you’ve been here a few years, what are your impressions of the Diocese of Gallup? “It’s been an adjustment for me - a big adjustment. The priesthood and parish life in the United States is a bit different than I had found in Argentina, which I expected.” 20
Voice of the Southwest | dioceseofgallup.org
“They do. They don’t have specifically reservations in Argentina, they do have areas where Indigenous peoples live. Unfortunately, they live in extreme poverty, generally speaking. I did work in one area where there were Indigenous people for two years, up in the Andes mountains. It was impressive, the way that they lived - they lived like 200 years ago. There were absolutely no modern conveniences or anything - no roads, no light, no gas, so people just lived off the land. Aboriginal living. Very pious and fervent Catholics, but frightening poverty. “Up in the north, for example, there’s some of the Guaraní. But they seem to treat the aboriginal people different than here. I’m not certain it’s better or worse. But most of my work was with Hispanics.” What are some things you enjoy about being back in the United States? “The freedom of speaking and preaching and teaching in my own culture. I was fairly good with the language down there but it’s
