By Our Own Correspondent

For the first time the Rector Major arrives to Fiji. Bula Vinaka (A warm hello!)

Suva, Fiji, May 6: The baptism of the Rector Major in the Pacific islands, in the land of smiles and un-expected is going on. After one day delay and three consecutive flights today (May 6: Honiara > Portavilla > Nadi > Suva), finally Fr.Ángel arrived to Suva, the capital of Fiji Islands at 9 PM. On arrival in Nadi were two confreres – Fr. Mosese Tui (AUL Delegate for the Pacific and the most senior confrere coming from the Pacific area) and Br. Steve Rossato (economer of Suva formation house).

For the first time a successor of Don Bosco does reach the Fiji Islands, sixteen years after starting of this presence! So great was the joy and family spirit after arrival during the late dinner and non-formal sharing around the table! Even the compensation for the one-day delay from the Solomon Islands side was paid already by the presence of the Rector Major amidst the young confreres here!

The Salesian presence – Don Bosco (formation) House in Suva, Fiji started in 1999. Thanks to the well-staffed South Pacific Regional Seminary, main stages of SDB-AUL initial formation in the Pacific are concentrated here (Novitiate, Postnovitiate, Education study, Theology). At present time there are 11 Salesians - three formators (Rector Fr. Taisali Leuluai, Vicar Fr. Jim Kyaw Hoe and Br. Stan Rossato with five novices (four Samoans and one from Australia), three postnovices, three students of education degree and two students of theology. Fr. Taisali is the 5th rector of Suva community, which is the only house in Australia – Pacific Province (AUL) without any institutional apostolic work. Although the Salesians are involved in different apostolic activities in the local parish(es) and with the Oratory, they still dream to start our first parish or some educational institution in this country.

From May 6 until May 17, the 10th successor of Don Bosco will visit all four countries of AUL province (Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia). In 2015 the Australia-Pacific province has 91 confreres and five novices and seven more confreres students from other provinces in Melbourne – Don Bosco Formation House at Clifton Hill. There are also other 6 confreres incardinated in other provinces (AFE-Sudan, CAM- Guatemala, ECU-Ecuador, INE - Trento, IRL - Malta, INN – New Delhi). As regards Salesian presences there is one in Fiji, two in New Zealand, three in Samoa and ten in Australia.