I
My missionary life is a journey of hope
am convinced that becoming a missionary is a way in which dreams and realities meet. The fact that I am
now a missionary is a dream rooted in the past and is explained by various reasons.
First, the desire to be a missionary, for me, is like a burning bush whose source is the family. Being the eldest son of
my parents, my childhood was spent far them. Their absence of over 6 years have made it easier for them to give me
permission when I decided to join a missionary congregation. Another reason is my belonging to the parish of St Aloys
under by Palottines who consider missionary activity as one of their priorities. My desire was strengthened during my
contact with the Salesians who are actively working in my hometown of Nord-Kivu/Goma. Similarly, I deepened and
purified my motivations during the different stages of my formation. During my novitiate, I was convinced that my
Sequela Christi will only be effective if I serve the youth away from my homeland. Every dream, enlightened by right
motivations become reality. In fact my dream became flesh when I learnt that I was destined to serve the young
among the peoples of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands!
Certainly my current stay in Solomon Islands is the result of a distant
hope. Although during the Course for New Missionaries in Rome the
community where I will be sent was still unknown to me, I had already
a very strong desire to be there. On the eve of my departure for this
land after the English language course in Kenya, I repeated to myself
Don Rua’s words, «At Mirabello I shall be Don Bosco», saying that «in
the Solomon Islands I shall be Don Bosco».
My first experience in this journey of hope to the Solomon Islands was
that everything was new to me: the time, climate, food, language, en-
vironment. In fact, the heat choked me, I could not understand how I
could possibly teach in a school with a British education system which
is so different from the French education system I was used to. Being
the only a young confrere and practical trainee with two priests from
other cultures and among students who seemed inactive, 'lifeless', I
often immersed myself in solitude.
But I was really surprised when I discovered that my young people have the ability to create things. Everything related
to art is perfectly applicable in this culture. It was the beginning of my joy and my being rooted in this new culture.
As a young missionary, I have engraved in my mind that living in an international community is a support especially
when all have the common goal of following Christ in the footsteps of Don Bosco by serving young people. Moreover,
the fact of sharing the gift of one’s own life, one’s missionary vocation and one’s own time help in learning to accept
and appreciate the local culture. I admit openly that patience, inner joy in every sense outweigh the danger of sick-
ness.
After my participation in the Orientation Course for Expatriate Missionaries of all the churches organised by The Mela-
nesian Institute, I am confident that my attitude towards the mysteries of the culture of the Solomon Islands will
change. I am truly grateful for the tools they offered me to help me purify my way of relating with the culture of the
Solomon Islands where I live every day the mission as a path to hope.
Bro. Moise Paluku, Congolese, Missionary in Solomon Islands
MISSIONARIES SOUGHT FOR OCEANIA
Country - Province
Papua New Guinea
- PNG SI Delegation
Solomon Islands
- PNG SI Delegation
Required languages
Features of the setting and qualities required by missionaries
English, Papua New Guinea Pacific Island, after 30 years very few local vocations, educative-
Pidgin
tecnical work, need of lay brothers
English, Solomon Islands Pacific Islands, after 25 years very few local vocations, educative-
Pidgin
tecnical work, need of lay brothers
Salesian Missionary Intention
China: formation of lay people committed to the mission
That the Salesians and their lay mission partners who live in the East Asia-Oceania region, espe-
cially in the Chinese Province, be faithful to the truth of the Gospel and respect the
dignity of every human person as a child of God destined for eternity.
Despite all the tough challenges of the materialistic atheist environment in China, we witness a
real springtime of Christian communities. Christians are growing very fast in Asia especially these
last 25 years. The training of lay people engaged in society and the building up of the ecclesial
community is the main direction for the future of the Church in East Asia.
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