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).
A total of 63 Catholic priests and religious with their three bishops met at Vanga RTC in Western Province to renewed their experience of God and the commitment of their vows to Him and to that portion of His people entrusted to their pastoral care.
Two Marianists religious from USA animated and facilitated the encounter, the first of its kind in the history of the Catholic Church in Solomon Islands.
The experience coincided with the golden Jubilee celebrations of the Catholic church in the Gizo Diocese and the golden jubilee of the ordination of its first Bishop (Bishop Eusebius Crawford, OP) in Rome, in May 1960.
The program which consisted in biblical, Marian and spirituality inputs, reflections and sharing among the participants provided a unique occasion for sharing one’s faith, experiencing brotherhood and fraternal support, and renewing one’s personal commitment to the priestly identity and service.
In a time when priesthood has been attacked and undermined by mistakes of some of its members around the world, it was great to see the renewal of the commitment to be priests’ according to the heart of the good shepherd in communion with the universal Catholic church built on Peter’s rock.
The commitment took place at the celebration of Solemnity of Saint Peter, the patron saint of the Gizo Cathedral.
Each of the bishops and priests renewed their fidelity to Christ and their priesthood.
This was done meaningfully by each one touching the cross and the bible in prayerful silence in front of the assembly before the final blessing in Saint Peter’s renewed Cathedral.
Each one agreed this is an experienced to be repeated.
The Gizo priests remained for a three days further meeting which saw them busy in identifying the specific gifts God has shared with Gizo Diocese in the past 50 years.
Having identified the uniqueness of these gifts, the Gizo diocese priests wrote and signed their commitment to keep these gifts dynamically alive and growing at the service of the people of God.
– Catholic Communications
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