Greetings, Kam na Mauri and Bula from Kiribati.
On the 19th of March, I left Fiji for Kiribati on a journey to promote Columban vocations in the Catholic High Schools, Catholic Pastoral Institute of Tarawa and in the neighboring islands. It’s always amazing coming to Kiribati. This is my fourth year visiting for vocation promotion and a there has been great support from Bishop Paul Mea, the Bishop of Tarawa and Nauru. There has also been great support from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) in Tarawa who provided accommodation, transport and helped in organizing the schools and communicating with the school chaplains. It makes promotion possible when we have contact persons and their willingness to help in promoting Columban vocations in Kiribati.
I visited eight high schools in Tarawa and the island of Abaiang which is about 10mins flight to the north of Tarawa. The responses from the schools was great. Students attended in big numbers especially the form six’s and sevens. I distributed brochures together with our vocations edition of the Kaulotu. I also showed different video clips of Columban mission in the different countries. After the promotion talks, we had a Come and See Program for interested students wanting to know more about the Columban Life and Mission. Back in Tarawa, the hall at the Women’s center was made available to me for my Come and See Program and meetings with the students. Some of the interested students who have been coming regularly have taken the IQ tests and three have started their accompaniment process.
It is also a blessing to have great support from the people. The people were so generous, they took good care of me during this challenging time.
As part of the Coronavirus pandemic worldwide, Fiji also had some cases of infections, and was put in lockdown. The boarders were closed and this has left me with no option but to extend my stay in Kiribati. It has been a blessing for me and I have seen that God has hidden plans for me, to keep promoting Columban vocations and to have more time to accompany students well. The other advantage that I have seen in Kiribati is that I am able to go to schools and give talks, visit the elderlies, anoint the sick, celebrate masses with people during the week and Sundays because Kiribati is one of the free zones of the virus in the South Pacific. It is also a blessing to have great support from the people. The people were so generous, they took good care of me during this challenging time. I have continued promoting vocations and also helped in the parish of St. Joseph, Bikenibeu. I was assigned in the masses in the main parish while the other two MSC priests were able to go to the communities and further north of Tarawa island to celebrate the Eucharist.
My extended stay in Kiribati has brought me both good and blessings. It has also brought back memories of my experiences during my First Mission Assignment in Santiago, Chile where I served for eight years as a parish priest. The experiences I have with the people of St. Joseph’s Parish, Bikenibeu, Tarawa has also allowed me learn the basics of the Kiribati language so that I communicate better. Hopefully, one day I will be able to celebrate the full mass in the local language. One of my highlights was the Holy Week celebrations. It was moving to see the faith of the people in Kiribati through the celebrations. It has renewed and strengthened my prayer life and hope for Fiji that the virus will be healed by God’s grace. The liturgy in Kiribati is just so uplifting because everyone participates in the singing during the mass. Their beautiful traditions and culture are still well preserved.
The “Cannot go Out” is a lesson for us to go inside ourselves with more discernment and reflections and acknowledge and recognize God in us.
Right now, I don’t know how long I will be stranded in Kiribati. Kiribati is my second Home.
I hope for the best in whatever comes along the way, when the whole world is slowly recovering and going back to normality in God’s own timing. Reflecting on the Coronavirus, it has taught me and the whole world to slow down, and to reflect more on the important of our life here on earth. It has helped me to see as well how we should take good care of our planet earth and one another. The lockdown has limited the people from what they used to do every day, people were finding it difficult to go outside. They have limited space and time. This caused a lot of depression and stress. The “Cannot go Out” is a lesson for us to go inside ourselves with more discernment and reflections and acknowledge and recognize God in us.
May God Bless You All where ever you are. Thank you for your continuous prayers and support for Columban missionary vocations in the South Pacific.
Fr William Lee is part of the Columban Leadership Team Fiji (CLTF) and Vocations Director/Associate Priest Coordinator.
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