With the support of the Manager of St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, Father Sanjey Kizhakkidenath, along with the Head of School, Mr. Paulino Navue, and the teachers, students from Classes 6, 7, and 8 received their introduction to the teachings of Laudato Si’. The school serves children from communities from Lami to Naboro, including surrounding villages such as Ucuinamono, Togalevu, Kalokolevu, Wailekutu, Kalekana, and Qauia, to name a few. Nestled on a hill in Navesi overlooking Suva Harbor, St Thomas Aquinas Primary is home to over 300 students and is a vital part of this semi-urban area.
In the week leading up to the JPIC Ministry’s visitation to the school in Navesi, bushfires broke out in the nearby village of Togalevu, just outside Lami Town. Some of the students who attend St Thomas live in this village, and while the fires disrupted traffic midweek, thankfully, there was no damage to homes. The incident served as a powerful and timely reminder, especially for the students, of the real consequences we face when we lack proactive environmental protections. It offered a living example of the core message of Laudato Si’, particularly integral ecology, which formed the basis of my presentation at the school. This principle affirms that everything is interconnected: the well-being of our environment, our communities, and even the ability of children to attend school are all woven together.
Through the content, the students were given a timely reminder of what creation is, what is happening to it, and how we can take proactive steps to protect it. They were reminded that caring for creation is not just a task to be ticked off a checklist, but a moral obligation—an expression of faith. Protecting the environment is one of the ways we praise God, by honoring and safeguarding the gift of His creation.
At the end of each session students who by now, filled with the holy, spirit; were encouraged to reflect on how they could care for creation. Each was given a piece of paper and invited to write down one or more actions they, as students, could take to protect and nurture the environment. This was followed by a Q&A session based on the content presented, where students had the opportunity to engage more deeply, and win small prizes in the form of stationery packs.
The activity served not only as a moment of reflection but also as an invitation to action, grounded in faith. As Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’: "Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience." (Laudato Si’, 217)
These sessions also marked the beginning of a partnership between the school and the JPIC Ministry, one that both hope to nurture in the coming months by building on this momentum and creating impactful, faith-driven initiatives for the students of St Thomas Aquinas Primary.
Noa Tuivunilagi
JPIC Coordinator - Region of Oceania
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