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DEACONATE ORDINATIONS AT THE CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART, SUVA

Today, 11 young men were ordained to the Deaconate by Archbishop Peter Chong in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Suva. It is perhaps one of the biggest groups of deacons to be ordained in the Cathedral. All 11 are transitional deacons and will be ordained priests later in the year.

The deacons are Mikaele Misinale SM, Iosefo Vili SM, Pio Ravu SM, Marisiale Weleca MSC, Tokabwebwe Kiaman MSC, Gaberiele Dulunaq ui MSC, Sikeli Tuilevuka, Viliame Baleikoro and Petero Apenisa of the Archdiocese of Suva and Teakare Betero of the Society of St Columban.

The Archdiocese of Suva offer our newly ordained deacons every blessing as they continue their preparations for ordination to ministerial priesthood.

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Archbishop Peter expressed his confidence in the new Caritas Team and the wealth of experience they bring to their respective roles in the Curia.

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CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

‘BALANCE FOR BETTER’ MERE FONG Your Grace, my brothers and sisters in Christ. My name is Mere Fong of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Lami. Last night I was pulling out of my garage on my way to choir practice at our small church in Delainavesi when my phone rang. It was about a quarter to 7 and it was the Archbishop: ‘Mere, I have one big kerekere. I know this is last minute but can you speak at Mass tomorrow?’

As you can imagine, I went weak in the legs and I could feel the colour drain from my face. The choir members, who were waiting patiently, later understood why I looked shell-shocked when I arrived.

Under the circumstances, and perhaps in my previous life, I would have desperately looked for an excuse to chicken out. Oh no, no, no Your Grace, you must be joking….la’o sara! Qori ga na vunau…..sa rauti kemuni ga na turaga bete!

In fact I even tried the excuse that Dami had asked me to conduct the Curia choir today….but it was like His Grace wasn’t even listening, he kept talking! It reminded me a little bit of his story at the launching of the Synod Mass….the one about the lighthouse and the ship which was headed on a collision course with it – His Grace was not budging! So here I am today…

Having said that, I have always been inspired by the courage of another woman, spouse, daughter, and mother….the greatest woman ever to have walked this earth, and who to my mind, remains the most powerful of all intercessors.

So on this special day for women, I attribute the courage I have garnered to speak today, to Mary’s YES. Each time she was called by God….she pondered deeply in awe and wonder and allowed God to carry out His will.

I believe it is God’s purpose also that I appear humbly before you in this most revered capacity today, to share my reflection on the theme for this year’s celebration of IWD.

Last night when His Grace asked me if I knew the theme, I sheepishly said….no! So I looked it up when I got home – and it is this: Balance for Better.

As soon as I saw the word BALANCE, it struck a chord with me….the word BALANCE reverberated deep within me….and believe it or not… it had nothing to do at all with women or international women’s day for that matter!

For me it had EVERYTHING to do with CREATION - that there is BALANCE, order, harmony in everything God created. I was reminded of a presentation by our Lami parishioner and Ecologist Nunia Moko, at our parish Seminar on Church, which was held at the end of last year. She enlightened many of us on the actual mechanics of this interdependence and balance in all of God’s creation. She referred specifically to the local rainforests, rain clouds, and the many living organisms that have a distinct role to play, and work in sync with one another to ensure the flow of the water cycle, amongst other life sustaining purposes.

God designed our earth, so that everything works together very well, in perfect BALANCE. Nunia’s presentation mesmerized me and heightened my awareness of the inter-connectedness of all of God’s creation.

The IWD theme, BALANCE FOR BETTER is clearly aligned with God’s plan. God also intended that there is BALANCE between man and woman, the last and most superior of all of His creation.

Whilst He created us equal in dignity and status, he made us distinct from each other and made us male and female. God ordered that just as all of his other creation are dependent on each other, man and woman too are dependent on each other for the achievement of His purpose. We need each other, we are made for each other.

The American author Sheri Dew said that God “made us enough alike to love each other, but enough different that we would need to unite our strengths and stewardships to create a whole.” This complementary relationship between man and woman is intended by God to sustain life so that we can live our humanity to the fullest, and in co-existence with all of creation.

My much loved teacher, mentor and confidant, the late Sr. Genevieve Loo (Rest in Peace) used to remind us young ladies of Waimanu Road, that God made us boisterous young girls to be graceful young women and not climb the trees at the far end of the school grounds. She said that if he had wanted us to climb trees he would have made us strong and powerful, and he would have created us as young men instead…so we were always reminded to be ladylike. I had no idea what she was talking about at the time!

A basic example of complementarity can be witnessed in the family. I am sure you will agree, that whilst no family is perfect, a well ordered and loving family, is ultimately the manifestation of the harmonious and life-giving relationship between husband and wife.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to respect and embrace God’s divine plan for us, as man and woman…because he has a purpose for us, just as he has a purpose for all of his other creation.

Needless to say, It is when we deviate from His divine plan that we suffer the many consequences which we are now facing in the world today, and which we are called to address today with love and mercy.

I leave us with an excerpt from a simplified version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (293 – 294)

Manifesting and Communicating the Glory The world was made for the glory of God, "not to increase it but to show it forth and communicate it" (St. Bonaventure). Love is the only reason God created. "God created to manifest his goodness" (First Vatican Council).

God's glory is the communicating of his goodness to us. "The glory of God is man fully alive" and man's life is the "vision of God" (St. Irenaeus). Creation exists "so God can bring about his own glory and our happiness."

We pray today that the witness of our lives will always GIVE GREATER GLORY TO GOD!

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2019

Archbishop Peter Chong celebrated the 1:00pm Mass today at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart to honour International Women's Day. He called to mind the contribution that women play in the World and in the Church. The immense contribution of women in the family, the Church and society ought to be recognised, appreciated and celebrated.

Noticeable at the 1pm Mass today was the large presence of women who had come to celebrate International Women's Day and what better way to celebrate the event than to offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving in the Eucharist.

After the Gospel, Archbishop Peter introduced the Chairperson of the Immaculate Conception Parish Pastoral Council, Mrs. Mere Fong, whose reflection on the theme for International Women's Day - 'Balance for Better' provided much thought for reflection and conversation.

After Mass everyone was invited to the Cathedral Crypt for Refreshments to celebrate International Women's Day

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International Women’s Day Mass

nternational Women’s Day Mass Friday 8 March 1.05 pm Sacred Heart Cathedral

Archdiocese of Suva wishes all women a blessed International Women’s day.

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We Need A New Way Of Being A Catholic: Archbishop Loy Chong

Archbishop Loy Chong said the new way of being Catholic was the need to talk about their faith and include other religions who converse with God.

“We need a new Catholicity that means a new way to be Catholic, to be a Christian in an inclusive manner,” Archbishop Loy Chong said. “Catholic means universal and what we need now is a new way of be ing Catholic – being universal, being inclusive in our faith where we can speak, where we can bring creation and other religions into the conver sation about God.” Archbishop Loy Chong also elabo rated on how faith had a public char acter in every society. “Faith has a public character be cause faith deals with divine truth, but truths are revealed and experi enced in human history and truth that come from experience and that come from God,” he said. “All religions have a claim to this truth, a universal truth now this is important in an age where truth has become relative as Pope Benedict says, we are facing a culture of rela tivism where truth is relative, mean ing that truth is up to you. “Faith traditions hold that some truths are universal, are divine. For example, love and justice, there is no lie about that.” He added there were many different ways for Catholic families to instill in their children the teachings of the Catholic faith.

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ASH WEDNESDAY REFLECTION: RETURN, RELENT AND REPENT

Today we enter into the experience of our Lenten Journey. The scripture readings for today all have a common theme. We are invited to return to the Lord, to repent of our old selves; habits and tendencies that place a huge strain on our relationship with each other and with God. Ultimately we are invited to renew our lives in the Spirit and so deepen our intimacy with the God who calls us, who beckons us and d esires that we enter into a loving relationship with him.

In the first reading, the prophet Joel asks us to return to the Lord so that our stubbornness of heart may be broken through with ‘fasting, weeping and mourning.' We are asked to turn and return to the Lord for he wishes us to experience tenderness, compassion and graciousness.

The experience of God's tenderness, compassion and graciousness is echoed in the words of the psalmist who invites us to repent by acknowledging before God that we are sinners. The recognition of our weakness sets the tone for grace to raise us up in order for God to create within us new hearts. Lent is indeed an experience of grace for us to embrace the simple truth that our brokenness can only be mended by God's loving mercy; our wounds can only experience the healing balm of God's tenderness and our refusal to turn away from sin can only be met with God's persistence to draw us into his own life with the joy of his help through the sacrament of reconciliation.

St. Paul on the other hand makes no qualms or apology that now is indeed ‘the favourable time.' We must relent of hardness of heart and not turn away or neglect the graces that God has given us to be reconciled to him. We are invited to become the ‘goodness of God.'

Jesus himself offers us the reminder that the greater grace of Lent lies not in the sacrifices we undertake for others to see but instead in the quiet Lenten practices known only to God. Through our quiet witness of the observances of Lent of prayer, fasting and alms-giving we give glory to God and obtain for others the graces they desire in order to deepen their relationship with God. Our Lenten observances is in the final analysis a journey into the heart of God where there is no room for ego, pride and self-serving interests. Even our prayer must be silent, our giving unknown and our fasting an experience of joy.

The focus of today's readings does not dwell on the human preoccupation of sin and weakness. Instead the readings draw our attention to God's mercy and God's desire to draw us into his warm and loving embrace. We would do well to enter into our experience of Lent with the knowledge that God loves us and God's love is greater than human weakness.

May our Lenten Journey be an experience of grace of the loving mercy of God so our return to God may be marked with humility, our relenting of old ways and harsh attitudes an expression of God's life in us and our repentance from sin a sign of God's favour.

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‘GOD CREATED WOMEN AND CHILDREN’

2019 LENTEN APPEAL

Dear Parishioners, Greetings! ‘Women and Children are made in image of God.’ However, it is alarming that in Fiji violence against women and children is on the rise. Many women, girls and children are victims of rape and violence. According to survey carried out by the Women’s Crisis Center in 2013 Fiji’s rate of violence against women and girls are among the highest in the world. Male violence against women is a real problem in Fiji, one the church must address. In this tragic situation, the equality, respect and love that are required in the relationship of man and woman according to God's original plan, are lost"

The bible states that everyone; men, women and children made in the image of God. Men, women and children are all children of God and therefore have the same dignity. The Catholic Catechism teaches, "Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman… [each] possess an inalienable dignity which comes to them immediately from God their Creator" (CCC, no 369). The Church should protect the dignity all peoples especially the vulnerable. The USA Conference of Bishops state: "Violence against women, inside or outside the home, is never justified. Violence in any form-physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal is sinful; often, it is a crime as well." Pope Francis has made it clear in his letter Amoris Laetitia that violence is never an authentic display of masculinity: "Unacceptable customs still need to be eliminated. I think particularly of the shameful ill-treatment to which women are sometimes subjected, domestic violence and various forms of enslavement which, rather than a show of masculine power, are craven acts of cowardice. The verbal, physical, and sexual violence that women endure in some marriages contradicts the very nature of the conjugal union" (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, no. 54).

The Archdiocese of Suva Lenten Appeal 2019 theme is ‘GOD CREATED WOMEN AND CHILDREN.’ This years Lenten Appeal will help build a ‘Safe House’ for Women and Girls who need love and protection. Your donation will help the Archdiocese of Suva through the ‘Women at the Well Ministry’ protect and heal women, girls and children who are victims of sexual violence.

I thank you in advance for your generosity.

+Peter Loy Chong Archbishop of Suva

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Sr. Genevieve Loo: A Life of Faithfulness, Fidelity and Fearlessness

To her family, she was Christina, to her students she was Sr. G, to her Religious family she was Jenny and to others she was Sr. Genevieve. A life lived in Faithfulness, Fidelity and Fearlessness up until the Lord called her to her eternal reward on 27 February, 2019. Her death leaves a huge vacuum in the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny, the Alumnae of St. Joseph’s Secondary School, and the Archdiocese of Suva and indeed, the many lives she touched and mentored.

In his homily today, Archbishop Peter Chong reflected on Sr. Genevieve’s life and how she espoused faithfulness as an Educator to her students, as a Religious and her contribution to the work of faith formation in the Archdiocese of Suva. Her fidelity to her commitment as a religious was reflected in her dedication in the her work as an educator and her sincere desire to empower and mentor the many young women who passed through the study halls of St. Joseph’s Secondary where spent most of her years as Principal and St. Bede’s College in Savusavu as Vice-Principal. Only a life of faithfulness and fidelity to the vision of Blessed Anne Marie Javouey could have endured 48 years as an educator.

As an educator, Sr. Genevieve was both a visionary and a realist. No idea or concept was too difficult to translate into action. Once she put her mind to something, however Herculean, it had to be accomplished. When the Ministry of Education tried to do away with Office Practice as a subject, Sr. Genevieve took on the Ministry of Education single-handedly to ensure that Office Practice as a subject was kept to ensure the less academically inclined. She was fearless and no task was too difficult to undertake. She was a familiar face in the offices of the Ministry of Education. As one Senior Education Officer related, ‘it was easier to give Sr. Genevieve what she wanted than to delay or spend time arguing with her. She came to the Ministry of Education with all her homework done. Sr. Genevieve got what she wanted.’

Sr. Genevieve once shared with me that when she returned to Fiji as a newly professed Sister her first student was her mother who wanted to be received into the Catholic Church. As Sr. Genevieve explained the basic tenets of the Catholic faith, her mother listened attentively throughout the entire lesson. At the end of the first lesson her mother looked up and said, ‘what is the point of all this if I believe?’ This was a turning point in her life and a lesson she was to keep for the rest of her life. The gift of faith is granted even without human intervention.

As a member of the Editorial Team for the Fiji Catholic Times, Sr. Genevieve was an invaluable critic. With each issue she would scrutinize every page and have a list of comments to make. Her mantra was simple. ‘Articles should be written from the perspective of the readers. Only then will we be able to reach our readers.’ This advice is perhaps what has made the Fiji Catholic Times a success story with the awards it has scooped in the last three years at the annual awards of the Australasian Catholic Press Association.

Her regular calls were always prefaced with ‘did you know?’ or ‘guess what?’ When a piece of information was relayed to her the immediate response was almost always, ‘is that so?’ As a familiar face in the Communications Offices in the Curia to edit articles Sr. Genevieve’s simplicity was most evident. We would share whatever was offered and no matter what we ate she would share in the meal with great relish. Once I discovered she was a great cook I would ask her to bake something for our Editorial meetings. The simplest of ingredients were transformed into the tastiest of meals or snacks.

She was relentless once her mind was made up about something that had to done and if there were delays, one could expect endless phone calls to ensure that the task was accomplished. There were to be no shortcuts. Sr. Genevieve will be sorely missed as a familiar face in the Communications Offices at Nicolas House.

Her funeral liturgy today was truly a celebration of life. From the eulogies it was clear that Sr. Genevieve had touched countless lives. The tributes that poured in from all over the world testifies to the formidable woman that she was. She always saw the positive side of each person; a potential to be developed, encouraged and empowered.

As the final prayers were recited at the Lovonilase cemetery today there was a single roll of thunder; reminiscent of the firecrackers so central to Chinese celebrations and a shower of rain that blessed all those who came to bid farewell to a woman who meant so much to many and perhaps remind all present that her departure from this life is only the beginning for lives she touched to rise to the challenges of taking on the responsibility of being men and women of faith. As an icon of faith, education and commitment to the vision of Blessed Anne Marie Javouhey we give thanks to God for a life spent in selfless dedication to spreading the Kingdom of God.

Words alone cannot express the length, depth or height of the countless lives Sr. Genevieve has touched. She was in a class all of her own. A woman whose very life made a difference and someone who was not easy to forget once she had come into your life.

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Nau Earth is crying as she is raped by Gold Rock Company.

Please stop the stone extraction from Dawasamu River. The coral and fish are dying.” Sa Lala Mai na kovati The food bank is depleted. Stop the stealing our stones The river banks are falling Stop the river digging The mountains are sliding, Stop the lying Gold Rock is killing Nau Earth Thieves and killers are put in prison Stop the injustice

Stop, Sa Rauta Mada! Dawasamu Rise and Stand

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WHY DO YOU STAY?

Members of the Curia are on a two day Retreat at the Marist Brother's Novitiate in Lomary. Led by Fr. Arthur Leger SJ the Group spent the first day in quiet reflection and meditation on the questions: 1. Why do I stay working at Nicolas House? 2. What am I thankful for? 3. What are the feelings I bring to work each day 4. What are the behaviours I bring to work?

Fr. Leger led the Group Reflections and members were given time for personal reflection and later sharing in bigger groups. Tomorrow the meditations will be centered around Change and Communication.

Also present is Archbishop Peter and the Vicar General, Fr. Sulio Turagakacivi.

We ask for your prayers as the Curia enter into this experience of reflection and meditation to make them effective in their work of service in the Archdiocese of Suva.