Mykolas Romeris University's (MRU) new chaplain Petras Pich from Spain is an avid sports enthusiast. At 57, students sometimes have a hard time keeping up with his busy schedule and love of hiking, skiing, tennis and walking the famous Camino thru Spain.

He has managed to walk parts of the 700+ kilometre path a total of 5 times. Last year he walked a 200-km stretch of Camino with a group of students. They walked up to 40-km a day and finished in 5 days. "I don't recommend walking so far each day," he said. "Your feet start to hurt," said the ever-smiling chaplain.

Father Pich said it is better to walk in a group than alone, because you can talk, discuss and help one another with carrying heavy backpacks. He packs lightly and says food and provisions can be bought along the road. His backpack weighs no more than 5-kg.

"The first day, when you begin walking, there is always a person who gets tired, or whose backpack is too heavy. Then others step in and encourage him to keep going, help carry the backpack or some of the belongings."

It's also a great chance to talk to people, as you walk, said the priest, who has been living in Lithuania for the last 15 years.

During winter months, he also manages to find time to get away from his duties as a chaplain at Kaunas' KTU and now MRU, and ski. He went to Michalovce, in Slovakia this year to ski. "I've been skiing my whole life," said the athletic priest.

Father Pich hails from a large family of 16 siblings. When he was young, he also considered having a large family and marrying.

But then he thought instead of making just 16 people - your own children, happy, he could reach out to more people. As a Catholic priest, he thought he could make many more people happy. So, he and two of his brothers, decided to become priests.

As the Easter holiday approaches, he said for the remainder of Lent he wold recommend concentrating on overcoming pride, which tends to grow in all people, "if nothing is done," he said.

"The best advice I can give is to laugh at yourself and the things that you were not successful at."

When a person humbles himself, then you "tear down" the world in which you want to show off or be better than others. You have to diminish, kill off that pride that you have, so that you can rise up, he added.

Father Pich will be on campus Mondays & Thursdays from 10-13:00 hrs. for consultations or advice. At other times, he can be reached via Facebook to set up a meeting.