4985(III)_Study, reflect, share and act together

First Pacific Delegation Assembly

January 20, 2019

By Fr James Hoe, SDB Moderator of the Pacific Delegation Assembly

Le'auva'a, Samoa, 20 January 2019 -- For the first time, 28 confreres from the three countries of the Pacific Delegation (Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa) gathered for the Assembly of the Confreres at St Teresa's Retreat Centre in Samoa from 15-18 January 2019. During the four to five months of preparatory work, every community and all the confreres had the opportunity to study, reflect, share, and come up with proposals for action in response to the challenges and needs in the Delegation. Present at the Assembly were the oldest pioneer missionary to the Pacific, Fr James Adayadiel, and the most recent missionary to arrive, Br. Peter Vu Nguyen from Vietnam and Br. Michael Harris from Australia. We were blessed to have Jacinta Teofilo (Salesian Co-operator) for the Assembly, her availability and professional observations were a big help in the secretarial work and the flow of the Assembly proceedings.

The Assembly focused on the "Four Needs of the Pacific Delegation" presented to the newly established Delegation by Fr Vaclav Klement (EAO Regional Councillor). These Four Needs are: (1) Strengthening a sense of belonging, (2) Salesian Youth Ministry, (3) Quality Formation of the Confreres (Initial and Ongoing Formation), and (4) the need for more multi-cultural communities in the Pacific Delegation. The effort and time the confreres gave to the preparatory work for the Assembly was helpful in small group sharing, processing the Assembly discussion and formulating resolutions to help our communities and each confrere to renew their commitment to the Salesian Consecrated Life and Mission for the youth in the Pacific.

Many commented on how good it was that the young confreres and missionaries felt at ease to take an active role in the discussions and deliberations. The frequent remembering of the pioneer missionaries at prayer and in conversation, and recounting many anecdotes of the early years in the Pacific enlivened a sense of gratitude for these great Salesians. Connecting the present Assembly with its beginnings gave us a sense of belonging and pride to be part of the history of the Salesian mission in the Pacific.

Perhaps the most striking effect of the Assembly was this. Just to spend a few days together with all the confreres in the Delegation, for some to meet each other for the first time, and to feel at home and share our stories, to pray together and enjoy each other's company gave us a sense of belonging and identity as a Pacific Delegation. There is a lot of enthusiasm to renew our commitment to do our best to make Don Bosco's dream for the young people in the Pacific a reality. And now, it is up to each one of us in the Pacific Delegation to live and put into practice the many good resolutions that were made at the Assembly to help us become Salesians of prayer and apostolic commitment and witnessing the Good News of joy to the youth of today and especially in the Pacific.