Telephone work plays an important key role in the success of a parish priest with his parishioners, for without it is impossible to keep in touch with his flock in Greater London. Moreover, our Oriental people still rely very much on the direct contacts of their priest with them, and thus, they feel completely abandoned if their parish priest doesn’t contact them at least once every two months.
Seeing that Father Shafiq is unable to visit all his parishioners in their homes, he tries to maintain regular contacts with them by phone and letter. In consequence, everyone is contacted at least once every two months. However, his experience obliges him to forget those who do not show any interest in our Melkite parish, in spite of his contacts with them over the past twelve years, and to concentrate his efforts on those who do care, and they number around 250 families. Father Shafiq spends about three hours a day on the telephone with his parishioners, and his telephone conversation boosts tremendously attendance at the liturgy as well as other activities of the parish.