Kaulotu Issue 1 March 2014 (2)

Columban Publication Issue 1 March 2014

Kaulotu - March 2014 2

KaulotuPublished by Columban Missionaries

Nasese Suva Fiji

Editor: Visenia NavelinikoroEditorial Assistant:Fr Donal Mcllraith

PO Box 2364Government Buildings

SuvaPh: 330 8290 Fax: 330 8292

Email: [email protected]

Page 3 From the Director - The Missionary Call Fr Donal Mcllraith

Page 4 Bahut Dhanbad CArlo Jungu - Columban seminarian

Page 5 Crossing Over Sea Paulo Bale

Page 6 & 7 Mending the nets Fr Frank Hoare Page 8 Photo Gallery Page 9 Gods Stewards Visenia Navelinikoro

Page 10 Youth/Students Corner Earth Day

Page 11 Editorial/Bulletin

Snapshots

Migrant Mass - Dec 18th 2013A first ever migrant Mass was celebrated on Migrants Day -18th December 2013 at the Cathedral Sacred Heart Parish in Suva. The main celebrant was Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, and co-celebrants were Columban Priests Fr Donal Mcllraith and Fr Frank Hoare.

After the Eucharistic celebration refreshments were served at the parish conference room,hosted by the Korean community.

Contents

Cover:Dogatuki andKadavu Evangelisation Photos

Episcopal Vicar Appointments Archbishop Peter Loy in the appointment Episcopal Vicar Eucharistic Celebration, appoints L- R Fr Timoci Kolodisi -Episcopal Vicar of the Sanctifying Office of the Archdiocese of Suva, Fr Mateo Sovaki - Episcopal Vicar of the Northern Region, Fr Frank Hoare Episcopal Vicar of the Youth, Evangelisation, Justice and Development and Pastoral Ministries of the Archdiocese of Suva, Fr Cecil Williams Episcopal Vicar Western Region, Fr Emiliano Lasaqa Episcopal Vicar Central & Eastern Region and lastly (partly obscured), Fr Sulio Turagakacivi as vicar General and Episcopal Vicar of Priests.


Fr Donal Mcllraith

[email protected]

Advent 2013 was very exciting for me as I was asked to be part of the Columban outreach to Kadavu. With the Columban Companions in Mission, I took the boat to Kadavu and spend 10 days in Vabea with the people of Kadavu Parish sharing a renewal program. This was one of three outreach programs organized for Advent last year. It was truly an experience of the koinonia or fellowship in the Holy Spirit that St Paul speaks of in 2 Cor 13:13

The Columban Companions in Mission are people around Fiji who have had links with the Columbans over the years and want to share our mission with us. Some are former Lay Missionaries, some are from Columban Parishes or former parishes. Some just want to share our mission. Vitalina Lubi was a Lay Missionary in the Philippines and is now in Ba. It was Vitalina who organized the Ba Parish outreach to Bemana.

Fr Paul Tierney accompanied this group to Bemana where they shared their faith with parishioners there. The third group were the CCIM in Labasa Parish who went to Dogotuki, an area several hours north of Labasa that is without a resident priest. There they joined with local Catechists and youth in leading seminars in the faith. These missions were organized by the CCIM but open to all to take part. Each group prepared carefully before they went and raised funds to cover the expenses of the trip.

This Advent enterprise was initiated and led by the laity who worked closely with the priests and catechists. It was facilitated from the start by Fr Frank Hoare. It is an encouraging sign that Vatican IIs message that the whole Church is missionary by her nature is being heard in Fiji. We look forward to many more of these missionary trips.

Advent Mission:the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.


This might be one of first phrases that I learned when I came to Fiji for the first time as a seminarian of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban in 2011. However, it might be one of last phrases that I said when I left after two years of my First Mission Assignment in Fiji Islands.

While I was preparing my diaconate ordination, I received an email from Father Donal McIlraith that Father Paul Tierney would like to attend my diaconate ordination ceremony. I was very happy because he was a parish priest when I was at the Christ the King Parish in Ba, and I have learned a lot from him who has spent many years as a missionary priest.

On Thursday, October 2, 2013, I became a permanent member of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban. I remember it was a beautiful day because many Columban priests welcomed me to become a permanent member of the Society. Moreover, many Columban sisters and Lay missionaries also came for the celebration in order to congratulate me.

On the day of the diaconate ordination, on Friday, October 4, 2013, which was two days after I became a permanent member of the Society, I was ordained as a transitional deacon of the church. At the ordination ceremony, I was very nervous and excited to become a deacon because it took many years to be a Columban deacon since I studied in Seoul, South Korea and Chicago, Illinois, United States of America and spent two years in Fiji as a seminarian for my First Mission Assignment. When I prostrated while congregation was singing the Litany of the Saints, all my memory in Fiji was refreshed.

In Suva, Labasa, Naleba, and Ba. I met many lovely people. I met many kind people. Moreover, I met God in their lives. There was time for happiness. And, there was time for tear and sadness. However, God was always with me as well as with them. I found the presence of God in them. Moreover, I found my vocation to become a missionary priest in them. And, I found love in them.

I still remember the conversation with Fr. Paul at the presbytery in Ba Parish. While we were having lunch together, I said to him, Have you ever imagined before that you, English, having lunch together with me, South Korean, at a parish in the center of the South Pacific, the Fiji Islands? Maybe, this is the beauty to become missionaries.

I still dream that after becoming a missionary priest, I, one day, will go back to Fiji to re-encounter God among the people in the Fiji Islands.

After the diaconate ordination, I have been assigned to stay a parish of Incheon Diocese in South Korea. However, I still dream that after becoming a missionary priest, I, one day, will go back to Fiji to re-encounter God among the people in the Fiji Islands.

Carlo Jung(Columban seminarian) in an Indian costume while attending a Mandhali Ecucharisitic celebration in Fiji.

Deacon Carlo Jung gives communion during his DeaconateEucharistic celebration in Korea.

Carlo Junga (left) a columban seminarian will be ordained to priesthood in Korea on the 3rd May 2014.

Bahut DhanbadCarlo Jung


Outreach Evangelization Camps are features of Church practice in some countries in South America where committed laity prepare themselves to travel to an area which lacks some of the structures which help to enliven Catholic life and practice e.g. a resident priest, presence of religious, Catholic schools, easy access to the diocesan centre etc. Some returned Columban lay missionaries have experience of these camps from their service in Latin America.

In 2012 a group of Columban Companions in Mission from Votua initiated the idea of reaching out to scattered Catholics in the Koronubu area of Ba, who were having little or no community prayer and contact with the sacraments after the death of their catechist. They had Sunday transport difficulties that made it difficult to come to Voroka. The outreach, sustained over a number of Sundays, bore fruit and resulted in catechists from other villages taking it in turn to minister to this community on Sunday afternoons.

The Evangelization Camp provided the space for the sharing and renewal of faith between the parishioners of Kadavu and the lay mission team from Suva. Specifically, the Camp provided: (i) Advent catechism classes for children, (2) catechism classes on Baptism, Apostles Creed, Basic Apologetics, the importance of the Hymns in the liturgies and the social dimension of wrong doing for youth and adults; (3) an introduction to the first 4 steps of the Lumko 7 Steps of Bible Sharing for adults; (4) individual and group reflection and activities to reflect and deepen their understanding of the key teachings from the inputs and (5) the use of drama and role play by youths to explore critical issues that impact peoples faith and their relationship with God and with others. The celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist was celebrated daily and Confession was available on a daily basis also.

The Evangelization Camp was attended by about 60 parishioners of Kadavu consisting of about 30 adults, about 10 youth and 20 children at Vabea and Waisomo on the island of Ono in Kadavu. The parishioners came from different parts of Kadavu including Nasalia, Narikoso, Vabea and Waisomo. In attendance also in some of the sessions were some Methodist youths and a Methodist minister. The members of the Methodist church in both villages of Vabea and Waisomo assisted in the catering.

For the team who went to Kadavu, it was an experience of a lifetime and a spiritual growth in their faith journey. We have made new friends and contacts; we have shared and cried together with a few, but most importantly we shared the living bread with great joy and happiness.

In retrospect, the Kadavu Evangelization Camp was a big learning experience, not only for those who were involved but the lessons learnt have implications for the whole work of Mission and Evangelization in Fiji.

The Kadavu evangelisation camp team in a small prayer and brief meeting whilst travelling to Kadavu.

Youths in Kadavu rehearsing their role play for the evening activity.

The children doing their presentations to their parents with the help of their facilitator Josefa Kurumaira of Tamavua Parish.

Crossing Over SeaPaulo Bale


The SituationOur people are dispirited. 30 years ago the former Archbishop accepted our request to establish a parish here but this has not happened. No priest has been appointed here. We have been passed around among three different parishes since then and only occasionally has a priest come to say mass. Through holding fund-raising bazaars we had gathered $86,000 twenty years ago. This was put in an archdiocesan account but our requests for information about it have not been answered. We planted a lot of yaqona, a good cash crop, to use for building a parish church and presbytery here but, over the years, priests came and uprooted some of it for their own purposes. A catechist from Dogotuki explained this sadly.

Dogatuki is an area with about a dozen villages in the far north-west of Vanua Levu, the second largest island of the Fiji group. He added, Quite a few Catholics have joined the Evangelical Churches in recent years. Recently the priest who had been our pastor said that he would not be returning any more. But we dont know which parish we now belong to or who will care for our spiritual needs.

Inspiration and Preparation

I had read in The Far East/Columban Mission how teams of Catholics in Columban parishes in Chile and Peru evangelized neglected areas during summer camps. Inspired by this I challenged our Columban Companions in Mission in Labasa town to visit and encourage their Dogatuki neighbors who, despite being only two and a half hours drive from the town, had long been neglected. At the beginning of 2013, while I was Interim Coordinator of the Companions in Mission, I consulted the Columban Regional Council, the Archbishop and the parish priest then in charge of Dogatuki about holding a one week evangelization camp in Dogatuki. With this plan approved, the Labasa Companions assembled their human resources (catechists, musicians, youths and experienced adults) and their program resources bible sharing, liturgy, reconciliation and youth themes. Led by Francis Lee, Iosefo Vasakula and lay missionary Marjorie Engcoy they planned their program in September. By the end of November they had conducted and evaluated weekend evangelization programs in five different villages and sectors of Labasa parish.

As a proximate preparation they asked me, since I was due to accompany them to Dogatuki, to lead them in a two day retreat. The team members conducted a reconciliation process among themselves, leading to the sacrament of reconciliation. The Parish Priest of Labasa, Fr. J.J. Ryan, presided at the Sending Mass

held on the first Saturday in Advent and the team travelled by lorry to Dogatuki that afternoon.

Dogatuki has about 400 Catholics scattered over six or seven villages. The 18 Labasa Companions divided into five teams to stay in five different villages for the week. I got the best deal of spending one or two days in each village in succession. I provided opportunity for all to receive the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist, and the sick and elderly to receive the sacrament of anointing. I was humbled by the respect and hospitality with which the people treated me and the team members.

Travelling to my first village I was surprised to find the elderly village catechist inside the van while a 70 year old female member of the team sat outside on the tray of the van in the rain. They both explained the reason to me later - since they were related as brother and sister, tradition forbade them to talk to each other. One of the organizers told me after the camp that he had deliberately appointed this lady to the talkative catechists village so that he would have to take a back seat during the sessions led by his sister.

Fr Frank Hoare (siiting) with the evangelisation team in a group photo with the villagers of Namukailau village.

Enjoying a bowl of Yaqona after an evangelisation session.

Mending the NetsFr. Frank Hoare


Rejection and Healing

An unexpected hitch occurred in one of the villages. The village headman, a Catholic, arrived there shortly after the team and allegedly announced that he disagreed with the camp and would not attend because young lay people were conducting the teaching rather than catechists or priests. The team was shocked. The village catechist was humiliated and deeply offended. But he advised avoiding conflict by withdrawing to a nearby village, Vitina, where another team was conducting a program. The team leader, on arrival in Vitina, was in tears as he recounted this reversal.

I arrived in Vitina on day three of the camp. It was going very well with a large crowd attending, including many young people. I was delighted at the professional presentation by Rosie and Chanel, the youth members of the team. They strongly challenged the Vitina youth to be evangelizers themselves. At the beginning of Mass that evening we burned records of personal failings written during an earlier community reconciliation. Isaiahs message, in the first reading that evening, to the dispirited Jews in Babylon, spoke deeply to the hurts and doubts of the Dogatuki people.

At the end of the mass four volunteers gave testimony to how the first three days of the camp had affected them. One of them, the offended catechist, said that the welcome received from the Vitina people had healed the hurt he felt by the rejection in his own village.

Confirmation and Encouragement

The Dogatuki catechists were encouraged and strengthened by the four visiting Labasa catechists. Joape, one of these, had been a Methodist lay preacher before becoming a Catholic. Joape had done his own research on answering fundamentalist attacks on aspects of the Catholic faith. He developed biblically-based answers to

ten challenges and shared these in Vitina. This was a very relevant input since a number of Vitina Catholics, who had converted to evangelical Churches, were present. Joape mentioned afterwards that a number of these people came to him personally to ask for further instruction and advice.

An unexpected but welcome result of the week was that the Dogatuki youths, inspired by the Labasa young Companions, decided to organize Columban Companion in Mission groups in three villages. They asked for information on the association and requested the Labasa young Companions to help them to get going. Their main project would be to dialogue with other Catholic youths who were being influenced by fundamentalist groups and try to win them back to active participation in the Church.

The week ended in typical Fijian style with a packed mass at Vitina attended also by people from the other four villages. Afterwards a formal leave-taking by the visitors and thanksgiving ceremony by the hosts (which included gifts of mats, brooms and bottles of coconut oil) were celebrated with many bowls of yaqona and a communal feast. The Dogatuki people appealed to the Companions to come again next year. Marcelo, one of the visiting catechists, promised that they would return. The Companions left with a sense of thanksgiving for all that was achieved and with confirmation of their identity as missionaries in their own country.

On my return to Suva the new Archbishop told me that he had unearthed the Dogatuki bank account and that it now stood at over $100,000. He asked me to return to Dogatuki for Christmas with this good news.

The Advent theme of waiting in hope on a faithful God was indeed experienced by the people of Dogatuki, this year, in a new way.

Dogatuki Evangelisation Team on their way to Namukalau. Reporting after group work in Vunivia evangelisation camp.


Dogatuki Evangelisation Camp

Kadavu Evangelisation CampColumban Companions in mission on their way to Kadavu.Photo: left - right - Joe Qalo (CCIM C/E President ) Ledua, Fr Donal Mcllraith, Paulo Bale Top Photo : Group Photo after Eucharistic celebration.

Migrant Day 18th December 2013

Right photo - Fr Frank Hoare with migrant workers from Chile, South America.

Bottom right - Migrant Mass

Bottom left - Archbishop Peter Chong conversing with some migrant workers working in Fiji.

Bottom photo - A youth discussion in Vitina evangelisation camp.

Photo Focus


God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth. (Gen 1, 27-28)

Before modern technology was introduced our ancestors used to forecast a change of weather by observing changes in their habitat. A change in the color of the sky, the fall of a beehive, the flight of sea birds into the mainland, the crying of frogs, etc., indicated a change in the weather was about to take place. These were their natural alarm alerts. These were sent by God. However climate change has changed all this.

During the past decade, Fiji has experienced a range of unfavorable climate-related events. There have been several strong tropical cyclones, with associated flooding and other adverse consequences. Fiji also suffered its most severe drought on record (1997-1998). Recently, there have also been health issues associated with climatic conditions, such as dengue fever and typhoid outbreaks.

Climate change has affected communities, living in the coastal area, highlands and islands that depend on natural resources for their livelihood and medicinal purposes.

In the coastal and island communities significant changes are taking place. Rising sea level has obliged villagers to build their houses further inland. Villagers have to go further out to sea to fish. Flooding has caused mudslides along riverbanks. Government developments have also contributed to climate change in deforestation and pollution in air and water. All these changes have been happening rapidly.

Along the timeline to 2060 and beyond, if we fail to address the causes of these changes in our environment, some islands will become deserted and their inhabitants will move to urban areas. Disease and sickness will become more common due to overcrowding and pollution. Food production will be a problem. Future generations will be obliged to live in life threatening situations.

Fiji is a party to all the international conventions and treaties on climate change, two of which are the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol.

The passion to work for Columban JPIC was first awakened in Chile where I worked as a Columban Lay Missionary from 2000 -2007. I spent the first three years in La Negra, Iquique, in the northern region, where I worked closely with mothers in a soup kitchen and with youth. Working

with the mothers in the kitchen, I listened to their stories., I usually sat in on the youth meetings or the choir practice, but I preferred to hang out with them on the street, where I came to understand them, hear about their experience in school and family background, especially the stories of their lives. I also worked with small children at Valparaiso, which was most enriching as I had to be like a small child to work effectively with them. It was an exercise in patience, walking small steps with them and so earning their trust. I got to be able to hold their hands and embrace them.

The experience of being assigned to a totally different region in Chile, with a very different lifestyle, environment and, of course, different people challenged my faith and became a significant part of my life formation. All this and perhaps more has combined to motivate me to join the Columban JPIC team in Fiji.

One task I took on with great enthusiasm was running a climate change workshop in a rural area. Rural residents area are generally not aware of the changes that are occurring to them. Discussing with them the changes climate changes that are occurring led them to the view that the world is coming to an end. They did not give a second thought to burning things or polluting the environment. In reading Genesis, we emphasized that God just did not create Earth just for us to live in, but also to appreciate it as a gift that we should maintain for those who will come after us, our children and their descendants.

The Columban JPIC, in responding to this issue, has been raising awareness at parish level, presenting climate change not just as an environmental crisis but also as a spiritual crisis.

Our workshop stresses the need to respect and protect the gift of creation. Genesis 1 tells us that God entrusted us with the care of our work; we humans are therefore Gods stewards. In harming the atmosphere, destroying our forests, eliminating many species from our earth and its seas, we dishonor our Creator and the gift God has given us. We need to consider carefully our choices and lifestyles and so lessen our contribution to climate change. Our faith calls us to humility, respect for life and the gifts of nature God has provided.

Gods Stewards Visenia Navelinikoro

In harming the atmosphere, destroying our forests, eliminating many species from our earth and its seas, we dishonor our Creator and the gift God has given us.


Earth Day22nd April,2014

Treat the earth well: it was not

given to you by your parents,

it was loaned to you by your

children. We do not inherit the

Earth from our Ancestors, we

borrow it from our Children.

Ancient Kenyan Proverb

What Can You Do? (Parish & Community) Plant a Tree Clean up the environment either the community area, the town area.

All Wear Green for an Earth run day promoting Earth Day

Teach children about earth day by having activities

Make a Difference ...

Youth/Student Corner

How did Earth Day begin?

Happy Earth Day The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. This day was created by American Senator, Gaylord Nelson, to make people aware of the importance of keeping our planet healthy and clean. On that day,people made promises to help the environment and make positive changes in their community. Since then, more than 500 million people in over 180 countries have participated in Earth Day activities!


Gone are the days when only a Priest and catechist visit Catholics who live in outer islands or inlands, those who are less fortunate to attend Mass every Sunday or have a resident priest nearby.

The Dogatuki and Kadavu Evangelisation Project is one way we are responding to Pope John Paul II, who called for a new evangelization in our modern world today, which needs creative Catholic works. This was intensified again by Pope Francis who said in July 27th, 2013, Jesus did this with his own disciples: He did not keep them under His wing like a hen with her chicks!We cannot keep ourselves closed off in our parishes, in our communities, when so many people are waiting for the Gospel

To preach the Gospel in the modern world today is not only in converting people, but to share your faith, your being, your time with those who are less fortunate than we are. We need to go beyond our boundaries.We need to be welcoming to those who are strangers to us either by faith, race or religion.

We need to be the voice of those who are not heard and fight for their justice.

This is each baptized Catholics mission.

Visenia Navelinikoro

Meet the Columban seminarians in formation.

Do you feel you that

God is calling you for

something more ? To be a Columban

Missionary Priest?

check it out!!!COME AND SEE

For more information on how to become a Columban missionary priest please contact :

The Vocation DirectorP.O Box 2364 Goverment Buildings Suva.

Phone : 7614438Email : [email protected]

Bulletin/Editorial

L-R Back row: Saula Seeto, Patrick Visanti, Fitakio Semisi, Iowane Naio, Aminiasi Ravuwai Front row: Father Iowane Gukibau, Teakare Betero, Martin Koroiciri

Kaulotu Issue 1 March 2014 (2)

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Transcript of Kaulotu Issue 1 March 2014 (2)