Fueling Justice: Statement

The cries of the poor and of the planet call us to listen
to the soft whisper of God in our heart
and to respond in solidarity.
As followers of Jesus in the charism of Edmund Rice,
we step out of the old familiar places
and move to the edges of society.
This creative energy gives us freedom
to shape a new emerging spirituality
based on justice and right relationships with all of creation.

Four Brothers make Vows

Four Christian Brothers renewed their vows recently: Raymond Kaitok, Andrew Demane, Fidelis Toatahi and Joachim ToRavit

PNG Brothers Graduate from College

Yesterday at Kaindi Herman Wagira graduated with Diploma In Teaching (Primary); today at Kabaleo three of our candidates receive the same award:  Jackson John, Philip Noah and Ignatius Wuta.  Jackson and Philip will be part of our new community at Golgobip next year.
Two other candidates, Shayar N’Dropan and Liam Sabak, who graduated twelve months ago, have completed all requirements and been registered as teachers during November.  Paul Kikisi is into the final week of his Diploma in Education (Primary Inservice) and we can confidently expect a graduation soon.  And Andrew Demane has already received confirmation that he has completed all units (very successfully in fact!) and his graduation as a Bachelor of Education (Special Education) will be on 15 December.
Our congratulations to all.  
Let’s also remember those who have not yet graduated, but have successfully completed another year of studies towards that goal; among them are Joachim ToRavit and candidates Gaius Gabriel, Lawrence Massin, Victor Piniau and Mark Posilih.

Christian Brother Poets in PNG

It was good to see our poets receive due recognition with publication in the latest edition of Omega, which you should have received in the mail in recent weeks.  Gerry Buzolic, Andrew McBeath and Joachim ToRavit were all there; I suspect that Joachim’s poem was a first by a Melanesian Brother.  Did you see Hugh Sharpe’s poem inspired by Herman’s final profession?

MOUNT SION GOROKA NEWS

Every three months or so I am usually present at a meeting of the Board of Governors of Mt Sion Centre for the Blind Goroka. I see there the wonderful goodness and commitment of so many people working in a difficult environment where more resources would always be welcome.

I often wish that every Brother in the Region could experience at first hand the wonderful things happening at Mt Sion.

And the same thing goes for the wonderful things happening at DWU Madang, Kaindi, Melanesian Institute, Kabaleo, Jubilee, Erima, Vuvu, Vunakanau .... anywhere that any of us is involved.

Message from Dr. Bill Wilson and Mary Wilson

Dr Bill Wilson and his wife Mary depart from Papua New Guinea this weekend. Bill recently sent the following email to Graeme Leach and myself, but intended it for the whole Edmund Rice Region:

It has been 4+ years since Mary and I arrived in PNG and we are scheduled to return to the States on 3 December.  We leave PNG with a combination of joy, sadness, and appreciation; we look forward to spending more time with our family back home, but also will miss the work, our association with you, and the people of PNG.

The eye work that has been accomplished over the last 4 years would not have been possible without the Christian Brothers, Callan Services, and the financial, technical, and logistical support of CBM.  There has been 4,863 surgeries completed during my time here in PNG, which is a record number.  The eye work is growing and In 2006 there were 1,300 surgeries, which is another record high.  The high number of surgeries testify to how much support the Edmund Rice Eye Clinic has received from you and all those who work for you.

The partnership between the Christian Brothers, Callan Services, and CBM is a perfect fit. We have been blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of such a great work.  Words do not adequately express how much we appreciate you and all the Christian Brothers.  You have supported us in every way possible! Thank you!

I am humbled by your lives of service to others.   Please know that we who know you truly appreciate you and your willingness to serve others.

PNG on Oceania Website

It is very often suggested to me that we in Papua New Guinea do not do half enough about letting the rest of the world know what is going on!  Shy and retiring?  Too busy to get around to it?

Gerry Buzolic has undertaken to be our publicity agent for the Oceania website, and will send on to the webmaster ( Br Neil Richards) any contributions that come his way.  The beauty of this arrangement is that it may just need a sentence or two, so no great time commitment necessarily involved.

Our problem of course is that most of us cannot access websites too easily yet, and so we fail to realise that the rest of the world is moving to websites as one of the primary modes of communication.  So, if there is anything newsworthy where you are, an email to Gerry could have it on the Oceania front page the following week.

Thinking Big

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Catholic Church in PNG is struggling to maintain many of its present commitments and undertakings – the same statement, of course, applies to Government and other agencies too.  Instead of just bemoaning the situation, what creative thinking is necessary to decide what is worth keeping?  What should we let go of and move away from?  Do we just go under, or can we contribute in our own small way to some solution.

One of the key Church commitments for many years has been the series of formation programmes offered by Xavier Institute.  Yet it is becoming so difficult to find religious, male or female, who can staff Xavier Institute in either a professional or administrative capacity.

The question is starting to be asked if Xavier Institute has come to the end of its useful life in its present form!  If it goes, what replaces the good things it has done for many years?  Is each Congregation in the country (over 80 of them) so busy with its own little world that the needs of the bigger world are pushed aside?  Could we find one Christian Brother in years to come who could be on the staff of Xavier Institute for a few years?  Jus O’Mara was in this position (1998 – 2000), and since then two of the smaller male groups in the country, John of God Brothers and Sacred Heart Brothers have had members on the Xavier Institute/Keaga House staffs.

You may have noticed that this email is originating from Keaga House Bomana.  I am here in the role of security guard!  Since the murder of Br Augustine Taiwa OH a few months ago we have not been able to find any staff for here, and as a result Xavier Institute will probably not be offering any places to male Religious next year.

Those of us in larger international Congregations can access many resources (International Spirituality Centre Lusaka, Karibu, God in the Now and a host of others) but what can the smaller local Congregations do?  We are effectively shutting out the Sacred Brothers and other local groups from any further renewal or development.

Christmas Wishes from PNG

This week marks the start of holidays for many.  Some of us are staying put, others are visiting family members in PNG or Australia, some are moving to new communities or ministries, others are not yet sure what is ahead of them for next year.

I pray that we all experience “the soft whisper of God in our hearts” and that we come to know a little more of the love, joy and peace which our God is always willing to lavish on us to console and disturb us.

Vince Duggan
Region Leader
Christian Brothers Erima
P.O. Box 6851
BOROKO      NCD      111
PAPUA  NEW  GUINEA
vduggan@global.net.pg