Subject: 'austraLasia' #254

PACIFIC ISLANDS: YOUNGER RELIGIOUS PLAN JUBILEE CONGRESS

Julian Fox

SUVA: 28th October -- Younger Religious, defined as those within ten years

of first profession, are planning a congress to celebrate the Jubilee Year.

It will be the first such gathering of its kind in the Pacific Islands. The

Congress is slated to take place in the middle of next year alongside and in

fact in interaction with the Conference of Congregational Leaders of the

Pacific Islands, comprising all the CEPAC nations (CEPAC is the umbrella

episcopal conference for the majority of Pacific Islands, excluding Solomon

Islands and New Guinea which come under another conference). The islands

are numerous, virtually all independent entities, are split largely between

the anglo and francophone 'official' languages, and have a 'new testament'

flavour about their Christianity, which was only accepted into the

indigenous cultures some 150 years ago.

The congress already has something of a Salesian touch to it. Two of the

leading persons on the organizing committee are young Salesians, and Fr.

Frank Moloney sdb, presently at CUA Washington USA, has accepted to be the

speaker/facilitator for what is now a joint congress of Congregational

Leaders and their younger representatives from around the Pacific. The

theme is "a new creation for a new millenium".

The organizing committee hope that this congress will present to the Pacific

world in the Year 2000 the joy and vitality of Religious Life in these young

Churches.

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