Bermuda's Roman Catholic community may be harder to serve than the Mexican diocese Bermuda's new Bishop of Hamilton worked in before coming to the Island.

And that is because there are more spiritual distractions in Bermuda than in Oaxaca, Mexico where the Most Rev. Robert Kurtz was associate pastor of the Cathedral of Oaxaca.

He said: "The challenges will be greater in Bermuda for preaching the Gospel.

I think there is always the tendency to get distracted by material benefits and well-being.'' And it is harder for people to see the need for the spiritual and the church in one's life when they are comfortable, added Bishop Kurtz.

In Mexico, he said, it was easier because you were giving a simple message to simple people.

However in Bermuda, explained Bishop Kurtz, there was a need for greater reflection and prayer to serve the Bermudian need.

He said he realised there was a real spiritual hunger on the Island but said he felt people questioned the message of the church because they will not "accept just anything''.

Bishop Kurtz said he sees his role in Bermuda as both an overseer and a servant of the Catholic community on the Island.

The newest Bishop in the Catholic church said he will be required to both teach and administer his congregation and will commit himself to learning more about them.

Bishop Kurtz said he felt it was a historic moment for Bermuda as he was the first Bishop from the Catholic church to be ordained on the Island.

He said he was "very touched and deeply moved'' by the ceremony of ordination which was held last Friday night in St. Theresa's Cathedral in Hamilton.

Now he said he wants to reach the people who have "fallen away'' from the church and said he will strive to build up a local clergy by inviting people to serve their communities.

This was part of what His Holiness Pope John Paul II called for when he told people to spiritually renew themselves for the turn of the Century, said Bishop Kurtz.

He added that the idea of "moving with the times'' but not losing the identity of the church and still being able to communicate its message in today's world was part of this New Evangelisation.

"You must maintain the essential -- keep the message and the identity of the church -- but communicate it in a way people will understand.'' He added that : " This will help spiritually prepare people for a great event in the world's history, the Third Millennium.'' "The message must be communicated well.'' Bishop Kurtz said he will be devoting himself to learning the history and culture of Bermuda and learning Portuguese better.

Bishop Kurtz was born on July 25, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois. On March 11, 1967, he was ordained as a priest in St. Louis, Missouri.

He stayed in Chicago until 1975 and then went to Rome, Italy where he served on the general administration of the world-wide Congregation of the Resurrection for 18 years.

In July, 1994 he went to Oaxaca and served there until now. He replaced the Most Rev. Brian Hennessy who retired 18 months ago when he reached the age of 75.