I came to work in Creggan Parish, Crossmaglen in 1990, after spending six years in the Glencairn / Forthriver district of the upper Shankill Road, Belfast. From the first day I felt totally at home in Crossmaglen, which is not what some Protestants might expect! I was conscious of a sense of welcome and warmth, respect for one's neighbour and a spirit of tolerance. For me that outlook reflects the true spirit of the people of Crossmaglen.

In each place in which I have worked I have tried to find one simple task that might broaden ecumenical cooperation and contribute to the wider community. This has resulted in a variety of experiences, ranging from a Baden Powell Scout Group with a large catholic membership in North Belfast (1966) an open Youth Club in a 97% protestant town (1974) and a cross community Youth Training Programme on Belfast's Newtownard's Road (1978), which at that time was only the second integrated one in Northern Ireland. On the upper Shankill we shared in the Shankill / Falls clergy fellowship and it was possible to have a nun to preach on two occasions! That is basically where I am coming from, having earlier worked as a civil servant in Turf Lodge/ Beechmount/ Shankill Road from 1966 -1970, before going to college.

In August 1969 I visited a catholic pensioner the day after she had been burned out of her home in Bombay Street by the loyalist mob. It was her (82nd?) birthday. I gave her ten shillings from my own pocket as a present. As a student in 1972 I was within 50 yards of an explosion at a new catholic parochial house, again the work of loyalists. I sent £5 to the catholic parish. In 1974 I invited a local catholic curate to attend my Ordination in east Belfast, when such a thing was unheard of.

One lesson I learned fairly early on is that Ministry is for everyone, not just for the members of your own congregation. Where numbers are small you have more opportunity of working for the betterment of the local community. In Crossmaglen this has meant involvement as a director of ROSA, supporting the rights of parents to have their children educated through the medium of the Irish language, and serving on the District Partnership Board of the Peace and Reconciliation Programme.

We have tried to develop our shared heritage through cultural tourism by offering Guided Tours of the historic churchyard, creating a small Visitors Centre, a Public Park and amenity area and restoring an 18th century walled garden. An exhibition "The Poets and people of Creggan" has been produced with the active help of Creggan Local History Society. In addition the number of Ecumenical Services, which started in 1988 when the preacher was the late Cardinal Tomás ÓFiaich, has been extended to four or five a year.

Among the visitors to the Centre one Sunday was two busloads of women ex-republican prisoners and their families from Belfast, who for their day out had chosen to go first to Armagh gaol, where they had their photos taken outside the cells they formerly occupied. It would have been a brave man who asked for admission money. I thought it was sufficient to make them welcome and encourage them to come back on another visit. Loyalists might like to know that it is alleged that the Red Hand of Ulster is buried in the O'Neill Vault at Creggan. So I will be expecting the busloads from the Shankill too and you will be made very welcome in this lovely place.

At a personal level it has been possible to make representations to the RUC on behalf of several persons (not of my congregation) who were in trouble with the law. In each case I have to say there was a positive response. We have also had four British Army chaplains to preach in Crossmaglen, of which two came on to preach in Co. Louth. On one such visit it took 25 soldiers and 4 policemen to deliver the preacher to the church!

In 1998 and again this year, one Irish tricolour on display outside the church grounds at Creggan was taken down for my benefit. It raises the issue of the proper display of flags and emblems. Should flags be displayed outside churches? How would you feel if the "opposite" flag was put up outside your church? How do you accommodate your neighbour's flags and emblems?

Sometimes in south Armagh, the majority culture is all pervasive, so that only one voice is heard. It can be difficult for protestants to express their views. How do you encounter the minority community in your own locality? What might help to provide opportunities for this to take place? Minorities need their own space. A community is impoverished when its minority disappears. Do minorities have a right to be heard or should they simply like it or lump it? It is easy for majorities to decide first and consult afterwards. How might this be avoided?

Protestants are not perceived as a threat in Crossmaglen because their numbers are so small. The story may be different ten miles up the road where the balance of population is more equal. In Newry/south Armagh the protestant population has declined substantially as a result of the troubles. What can be done by the local majority population to ease this uncomfortable fact, or is it just a matter of indifference?

We live in a complex society where there are many differing views and outlooks interwoven and overlapping. The important thing is to think for yourself, to face up to your own prejudices and to take the risk of moving beyond boundaries. Dialogue is a first step towards encouraging awareness and understanding. Do what you can within your own circle. Don't give in to sectarian prejudice and bigotry. No community has a monopoly of suffering. Try to put yourself in the other person's position so that you can empathise with the pain and hurt of their community. Be open to others yourself rather than leave it to them to make the first move. You may be surprised by the response.