Prayer and being there in a crisis
In 25 years of marrying couples Father Craig Butler has only once mixed up the brides’ names.
The memorable mistake came on a day when the South Taranaki priest had two couples to marry at different weddings.
‘‘One bride was called Karen and the other was Catherine – do I need to say any more?"
Butler, who just celebrated his quarter century milestone at a special Mass at St Joseph’s in Hāwera, said he never planned to be a priest, but it’s a way of life he wouldn’t change.
He started his working life as a radio technician before switching to spiritual communication, after sensing the call of God over several years.
Butler said much of his work is with people who are not Catholic or who don’t have a faith background.
He relishes a good discussion about the real stuff of life, with anybody.
‘‘I enjoy the challenge, the cut and thrust of conversation with all sorts of people.
‘‘Quite simply, a good part of my life is simply being with people at the crisis times – death, sickness ... birth, being there with people in sickness and in health.’’
What he enjoys the most about his role is being with people and praying with them.
‘‘I’ve watched people in hospital, seen colour come back into somebody’s face.
‘‘It doesn’t always happen, but healing is so much broader than just physical healing, it can be emotional healing, psychological healing as well.’’
Surprises in his career include once finding out at the last minute he was expected to make a speech at an 18-year-old’s birthday party when he’d had no idea about it.
He kept it short.
‘‘One of the best moments was standing up in court in defence of someone who had been wrongly accused of a crime, although I was probably as terrified as he was.’’
Butler has real empathy for other people who have to speak in public because it’s not easy, he said.
He has lived in Hāwera for three years and before that New Plymouth, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, the Manawatu¯ , Napier, and Hastings, but Taranaki, where he grew up, is home.
‘‘When you can see the mountain you’re home and home is one of those universal aspects of life.’’