3847_Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands Vice-province

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! December 24 for PGS

By Fr. Stefano Vanoli, SDB
Secretary General

Rome, Italy - On December 23, the last day of the 2015 General Council session was approved the erection of the new Vice-province of Blessed Philip Rinaldi ‘Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS)’. The long awaited recognition brings the number of the East Asia – Oceania Region Circumscriptions to eleven: eight Provinces and three Vice-provinces. ITM Vice-province was erected in 1998 and Myanmar Vice-province was created in 2004.

During the recent visit of the Rector Major in the Delegation of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands it was clear that after 35 years of the Salesian presence times are mature for the erection of the Vice-province. (Cfr. AustraLasia news 3595, May 2, 2015)

Last June 11 the Rector Major and his Council approved the timeline for the erection of the Vice-province: Report of the Delegate PNG-SI about the State of the Delegation (September), Canonical visit of the FIN provincial (October), Request of the FIN provincial for the erection of the Vice-province (November), Consultation to the confreres of PNG-SI Delegation (December) and finally the approval for the erection of the new Vice-province by the Rector Major and his council (C156).

Salesian presence in Papua New Guinea started in 1980 and the PNG Delegation was started in 1994 (FIN). In March 2005 were attached the two communities of Solomon Islands (GIA province mission was started in 1995) and the present Delegation of PNG-SI was created. Over the years the service of the Delegate-Superior was entrusted to Fr. Valeriano Barbero (1994-1997, 2001-2004), Fr. Francesco Panfilo (1997-2001), Fr. Luciano Odorico (2005-2007), Fr. Rafael Galve (2008-2013) and finally to Fr. Peter Baquero (2014-2016).

The need for the growth from the Delegation towards the Vice-province was already discussed and grew mature at various occasions: Assembly of PNG-SI Delegation (2006, 2010, 2013), Recommendations after the Extraordinary Visitations (2004, 2010) as well as during the Provincial Chapters of the FIN province (2010, 2013).

According the Report of the PNG-SI Delegate (October 2015) there are 8 communities (6 in PNG and 2 in SI) and 43 confreres (2 bishops, 32 priests, 3 Salesian brothers, 6 candidates to the priesthood in initial formation) and one novice. Another 8 confreres are temporarily transferred to the Delegation from other provinces (1 Priest, 1 Brother and 6 practical trainees). There is a variety of 16 nationalities: 13 Filipinos, 11 Vietnamese, 8 Indians, 5 PNG - SI nationals, 2 Italians, 2 Spaniards, 1 from Angola, Congo, East Timor, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Sri Lanka and Switzerland.

In the recent consultation the PNG-SI confreres expressed their suggestions for the growth of the Salesian Charism in the future Vice-province. At the top of their ‘wish-list’ we find a stability of Salesian personnel, effort for ongoing inculturation of the Salesian Charism, consistent vocation promotion and accompaniment of local confreres, qualifications of the confreres and constant need to send new missionaries.

There are still few more steps until the full swing of the new PNG-SI Vice province – next April during the extraordinary visitation to the FIN province will be held the consultation for the first Superior of the new PGS (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands) Vice-province and after the appointment of the first Superior in the June session of the General Council will follow the installation of the first Superior of the new Vice-province in early July 2016.