The Diocesan Assembly of 2005 and the recent events of Tsunami and Earthquake in the Western and Choiseul Provinces have put our Diocese and its people on its knees.
“Sore Gizo” the song says. Today, the 2nd of April, we commemorate the first anniversary of an unforgettable event that has deeply affected our lives as a diocese, it was for all of us a long way of the cross. It began on April 2, 2007 with the crucifixion and it went through the long pain and efforts of surviving and of recovering. We now aim at reconstructing our lives and plan for a new future. Each one of us has a story to tell: the pains, tragedies, struggle and how the Lord through it all has been there.
May be some of us have also met with deep personal unanswered questions to the mystery of tragedy and death, God has been there too to point out a way foreword to new hope, with the Easter celebrations we just ended. Death is not the end, He has died too, however the way of the cross ends with the triumph of the resurrection and not with the shame of the cross. Life has conquered death. There is new hope, “spe salvi”, “saved by hope” says Pope Benedict XVI in his last encyclical letter. The strong unshakable hope in our personal resurrection is the remedy to our temporal suffering, let’s then “lift up our hearts” to him and find that hope, trusting in Him… “and all be fine…”
Looking for new hope involves us in a community effort to find out (discern) what God’s plan is for our future as a Diocese.
Where are we now as a diocesan Community?
What did we learn from the recent tragedy?
Where is God now pointing the way for us to follow?
What are we going to plan to be faithful to that vision?
Are we ready to commit ourselves?
What will sustain us and support us in our commitment?
Because of the foresight of Bishop Bernard the diocese has undergone a process of Renewal since 1997. That process has brought us to the assembly of 2005 which identified 11 resolutions for the diocese to start working on. The Tsunami and earthquake knocked us “down”, but not “out”
The GDPP (Gizo Diocese Pastoral Plan)
In the November priest council meeting we have planned a community consultation on which of the 11 resolution was a priority to start with in the parish? In my recent visit to all communities I heard all plans and needs. We then called for a pastoral “assembly part two” the last week of February and the first week of March 2008, whose members we have later identified as GDPC “the Gizo Diocesan Pastoral Council”. With them we planned on how to implement the 11 recommendations of the assembly on a medium range 4-5 years period.
The result of this journey together is the GDPP (Gizo Diocesan Pastoral Plan) which I am happy to present to you with this pastoral letter.
Your Parish Priest and DTPA have brought home with them a copy of that plan.
It is the result of 10 long years of search (1997-2008), prayer and discernment of many committed and responsible Church leaders. As such it deserves our full respect and a renewal of commitment to put it into action.
For this purpose in the final commissioning, the members of the Gizo Diocesan Pastoral Council have all signed the document, they presented it to the bishop in front of the Diocesan Community on the Sunday Eucharist at the offertory and were anointed to bring this plans to you, to help you know and implement what the plan asks from each one of you. Solidarity has helped us survive until now throughout our way of the cross… Solidarity must continue to keep us united in its implementation.
Renewal is not optional if we want to be relevant, meaningful and faithful. Renewal is a must; we cannot ‘rest’ on out past achievements…. If we rest we rust…
We must pick up our pieces, find out where we went wrong and stir the ship on the right direction…. Let’s not be afraid to lose sight of the shore, the new horizons ahead of us might make us temporarily loose sight of the security of the shore, but we will then see the stars pointing to the new direction for a brighter future. Our plan is our destination and our compass.
Our Pastoral Plan is not complete yet. It contains however all the steps to be followed in order to reach the goal of a finished and complete plan. This cannot be done without a wider consultation with you all… For this I ask of you, take the plan at heart:
READ AND STUDY THE GDPP (Gizo Diocesan Pastoral Plan): understand it, appreciate it
WELCOME, ACCEPT AND LOVE THE GDPP: it’s God’s gift to us and our gift to him
CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE GDPP: add your personal contribution
COMMIT YOURSELF TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION…nobody can do your part
A vision of Faith
We consider this Plan is God’s gift to you and me, he calls us and consecrated us for a mission; this is now our concrete expression of our love and commitment to the church and its mission
The plan is from God’s own inspiration using you and me individually
The plan is then entrusted to the church as a communion of communities where each one of us has a role to play in it
The plan is to be implemented by the church community through its members
The church community sends us in solidarity and synergy on that mission contained in the plan. Our apostolate is nothing else that the implementation of this plan in solidarity with each other
By doing our part in the plan we do God’s will and go back to him who energizes us further to continue searching and working together. It is in doing God’s will where we find Him… and build our personal holiness
Commitment to this plan is a sure way
of personal communion with God in Holiness of life
of communion with the whole diocese, Bishops who came before and the present one, the priests and DTPA, the assembly and the pastoral council,
of apostolic zeal and enthusiasm for God’s will
A vision of New Hope
We have been called, consecrated in baptism and sent to proclaim his news which gives priority to His kingdom.
This Plan is what will change our lives and make us better disciples, faithful to the Lord
“What I can do is just a drop of water in the ocean… but it is this drop that gives meaning to my life”
Struggling to build God’s kingdom will make us experience the joy of victory even if we will never catch up with it fully in this world, because his kingdom is not of this world
A tribute to a volunteer priest.
The implementation of the new DGPP requires personal and community virtues and attitudes. God showed them to us in a model: Fr Michael Lomiri. A model of:
Spirituality: A man of silent and quiet adoration of the Father, listening to Him
Humility: A man who never boasted in anything except his God given vocation
Openness: A man who shared his visions and views without imposing them on others
Generosity: A man who volunteered to go to the hardest, biggest and furthest parish when his strengths were failing him
Fidelity and courage in the struggles: A man who died doing his duty
May Fr Michael intercede for us with the father and keep us united, enthusiastic, generous, committed and faithful to the plan.
We, your bishop and priests, spend time with God and ourselves for two weeks in the effort of a Renewal of the giftedness of catholic priesthood to our diocese s as part of the golden celebration of the diocese. At a time when we hear sad and disturbing news about priesthood, this wants to be indeed a good piece of inspiring good news. From June 20 to 29 all the priests of the three catholic dioceses of the Solomon Islands (Honiara, Auki and Gizo) met for a renewal and formation program at the conclusion of the international year of the priest called by Pope Benedict the XVI th.
There is a story of a Blind man and a paralyzed man wanting to cross the river on a log which fell across its banks. Both of them were not able to pass through: one could not walk and the other could not see. Then they found a solution: let’s unite ourstrengths: I have strong legs said the blind man and I have good eyes said the paralyzed man. I will be your eyes and you will be my legs… and both of them crossed the river the blind man carrying the paralyzed man on his shoulders.
Antidote to ‘Global ethics’, a new radical option to follow Christ
The challenge of the NILA spiritual youth rally. The event’s Theme “You will receive power from the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses” 361 young people (16-25) from the Gizo diocese parishes from Gizo, Noro, Ringi, Nusabaruku, Titiana, Canaan, Sirovanga (as far as Tambarato), Moli, Fauro, and Shortlands have come together for a renewal program, as a follow up of the World youth day in Sydney last August.
For one whole week the youth have reflected on input about the topics first in their “days in the parish” and then together at Nila.
The month of October has been a very special month full of graces from above...
Grace Number 1:
The grace of a better presbyterium
The retreat of the Priests (7 of them working in the diocese and two guests from Auki Diocese) has been a very enriching renewal experience. The reflection and meditation on God's work focused on the topic "what kind of Priest for what kind of church" I am confident in saying that we understood that we must work as a Team, God's team at the service of His mission in OUR diocese. We have decided to stop using the expression "MY PARISH" and to start using "OUR DIOCESE". Yes we have felt that the church we are called to build is indeed "Ours" and we intend to build a ‘communion of communities'. To do this it is a must that all of us priests build a united ‘presbyterium'. We also took the decision to divide ourselves into Two groups or ‘deaneries': Shortlands, Moli, Kavata and deanery number two: Waghina. Gizo, Noro. The two groups of priest will meet more regularly and try to be a support system to each other. As a Bishop I felt very much the grace working in the retreats at least in two clear occasions: a reconciliatory move from one parish priest and his community leaders, and the availability of another priest to take a different post. I was most touched too by the efforts of the Dominican Order to hold on to their responsibility in the Gizo Diocese: thanks for Fr Callisto's presence in Kavata, thanks for Fr Laurence who is due to come back and work in the diocese soon, best wishes and prayers to Fr John Tiroko who hopefully will join us again. We do Hope Fr. Stephen will join us too. In response to the public demands I have asked other bishops for 6 more priests to join the present ones so we can better serve our people. Some bishops said they cannot help. Others said, not this year, others promised to help. A million thanks to Fr. John Mc Kenna for practically spending his whole priestly life in the diocese... We will never forget you...
The challenge of the Christmas celebrations is not that of remembering what happened 2000 years ago in Bethlehem... but that of making that reality present here today by allowing Christ to be born again in our hearts, family and communities.
To become present and alive, to become part of the life of those who live next to us, of those who are alone, and to become for them a sign that God is alive, he was born and he is here for them, though us.
These are two deep mysteries of Christmas: Humility and generosity
God is with Us, Emmanuel, a mystery of incomprehensible Humility (He is God and born as a man)
He is here for you and me and for everyone: a Mystery of generosity (he is born to serve you through me and others through us)
Bishop Luciano's Message
