austraLasia #1858

Samoa - Australia-Pacific's largest community, and C. 100 in action

APIA: 25th May 2007 -- The Feast of Mary Help of Christians has only just concluded in the islands of Samoa. Few people fully realise (and especially if they are travelling for the first time from other parts of the world), that in the Australia-Pacific zone, and in particular in the Salesian Province which incorporates it, one set of islands is in yesterday, while the other set is in tomorrow!  And the islands are just an hour or so apart by today's travel standards.  Hence as the rest of the world (and Fiji being the first of the rest) put out the lights on Mary's candle, so to speak, Samoa was just lighting them up.
    It was an occasion for the Provincial, Fr Frank Moloney, to be present at the celebrations and to conclude the annual retreat and bring the Visitation to a close.  Sufficient reasons in themselves for celebrations, but, as he pointed out, the rather complex apostolic community of Alafua is the largest SDB community in the province, and containing, as it does, Samoans, and Indian, an Australian, two Poles, a Fijian, a Tongan, it means the community is constantly living out Constitution 100.
    C. 100 tells us 'the principle of unity in the Congregation is the charism of our Founder....it accepts and develops whatever is true, noble and just in the various cultures'.  These are beautiful sentiments, though the challenge of multicultural living (a distinctive feature of the Province over many years and only to increase in the future) is a major one not only for this province but for the entire Congregation.  The Rector Major has hinted that it is in his planning to write a letter about just such a matter.
    The Alafua community is a technical school - arguably Samoa's best, a base for two Salesian parishes, one of them the largest and most youthful parish in Samoa, and a formation centre for prenovices, men in practical training and at the later stage of specific formation, especially for deacons.  And because of the constant flow of good vocations (which again places emphasis ont he importance of the several stages just mentioned and for which confreres in this community are responsible), the province is now looking at expanding its presence in the islands, specifically into Savai'i where discussions with the Archbishop are at an advanced stage to erect a new technical school on this 'forgotten' island (in the sense that youth and families drift towards the 'big city' on Upolu with ramifications for education and social life on the other island). In all likelihood there will be a Salesian community presence on the island next year and possibly classes may open the following year.
    It is an exciting Salesian presence if not without its challenges.  Hopefully, in several weeks time, we can report (is our correspondent reading this?) another success in the famed Fautasi canoe race, once before won by 'Don Bosco' in the name of the nation, against its nearby opponents, American Samoa and Tonga!
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