The Rev. Joseph McKinley does not know how long he will be in Natchez. But he is feels it is all part of his calling to serve the Lord. &uot;God gives you the vocation. You just follow it,&uot;&160;he said. &uot;You have the desire to do something and you follow it.&uot; McKinley came to Natchez Jan. 14 and has been interim pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church since the Rev. John &160;Tyne, SSJ, transferred to Mobile, Ala.

McKinley has served with the Society of St. Joseph, a community of priests, for 40 years.

He has spent the last two and a half of those years in temporary positions like this one in Natchez. He will stay with Holy Family until the community makes a permanent replacement.

&uot;I just go wherever I’m needed,&uot; he said. &uot;I like moving around.&uot;

McKinley believes he is good for temporary positions because he is a flexible person.

He also spent a few weeks at Holy Family several years ago in a similar position. &uot;It takes a while to get acclimated everywhere you go,&uot; he said. &uot;Most often every place is a little different.&uot;

McKinley joined the Society of St. Joseph because it focuses on black ministries. &uot;I wanted to work in a black community and at the time this was the only society that dealt specifically with that,&uot; he said. &uot;I saw a lot of injustice, and I wanted to do something on my own to change some of that.&uot;

He believes ministering to people is one of the most rewarding things about his job.

&uot;It’s always been very rewarding, which means it definitely was my vocation because you couldn’t do it if you didn’t enjoy it,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s a challenge giving something back to a community.&uot;