Pastoral Relationship with People with Intellectual ... - Theses

180narratives that emerge, that the truth revealed in any one observation andnarrative can be tested against a broader range of experiences.It is the purpose of this extended reflection to develop a pastoral approachthat offers a measure of liberation to those with intellectual disability who engagein pastoral relationship within the institutional context. Therefore, it is theintention of this pastoral practitioner to reflect upon narratives that are of arepresentative type derived from those who live in the institutional context. Thisis in contradistinction to narratives that focus on personal, literal truth, concernedas they are with verbatim recording of personal pastoral and institutionalengagements and context. It is argued that this latter form of narrative reflectionrequires a pastoral response that accords with the nuances of each particularnarrative. It is argued that a comprehensive and representative pastoral modelcannot authentically emerge from the individual narrative even if the literalpersonal story is reasonably representative of the institutional situation. Such apastoral model could always be claimed to be more responsive to personalnuances than the congregate perspective.The discerning of narratives of institutional type acknowledges thecommon threads of those stories that represent the nature of life for thecommunity of people with intellectual disability living in the institutional context.As Rodwell states in relation to constructivist research practices,[t]he ... researcher is duty bound to collect information relevant toall stakeholders; to collect information in ways that expose 'facts'useful to all sides; and to release findings continuously and openlyso their credibility can be examined by all. 495This pastoral practitioner would argue that such broad-based ‘fact finding’is best discerned through the analysis and reflection upon narratives ofinstitutional type. It is from this perspective that a pastoral model pertinent to allcan be developed.Such narratives will be discerned from the multitude of pastoralencounters in which this pastoral practitioner has engaged since beginning thisministry in March 2001. The collation of and reflection upon narratives over thislength of time has ensued since the commencement of this ministry. It hasenabled the development of a mature understanding of what is meant by the495 Rodwell, Social Work, 10.