By EAO Missionary Animation Team

EAO, 23 Oct 2023 -- During the 155th Salesian Missionary Expedition last September 29, 2024, our EAO Region sent 6 missionaries but also received 5 new missionaries. Here is the second missionary sent to the PGS Vice-Province in view of the new presence in Vanuatu in 2025.

I am Cl. Krešo Maria Gabričević from Zagreb, Croatia. I was told that it would be easier for everyone in our EAO Region to call me ‘Br. Kris’. I come from a small family composed of my parents, my elder brother and me. My brother is four years older than me and is a medical doctor. I am 27 years old and I have just finished my postnovitiate studies in Rome.

When I was a child my father enrolled me for swimming lessons. Later he realised that he enrolled me in water polo. So I played water polo since I was 8 years old. Even at that age, I read missionary magazines, and watched various stories and experiences of missionaries on the internet, imagining that one day I would be a missionary. But then my life became focused on water polo. Thus, all my weekends and holidays were practically spent on training. I was eventually selected for Croatia's national water polo team. We played in different countries. Once we even played in Australia. That was the first time I reached Oceania. However, I decided to leave the national team in 2015 because I wanted to focus on my studies in the Faculty of Geology at Zagreb University. In order not to burden my parents financially, I took various technical and administrative jobs. Part of our curriculum in the final year was visiting oil rigs which allowed us to visit different countries in Europe. I graduated in 2019 with a degree in Oil and Petroleum Engineering.

I actually belong to the Salesian parish in Jarun, Zagreb. While in the university I joined the discernment group of the Jesuits. This helped me understand God’s call to me, but I did not want to be a Jesuit or a diocesan priest. One day a Salesian invited me to visit their pre-novitiate. I was so struck by the joy and family spirit of the pre-novices that I immediately told myself that this was the Congregation I wanted to join. I joined the pre-novitiate in September 2020 already with the desire in my heart that one day I may be sent to the missions.

During my novitiate in Genzano, Italy, I discussed my missionary desire with my Novice Master as well as with my spiritual guide during my post-novitiate. When I went to talk to Fr. Alfred Maravilla during the earlier stages of my missionary discernment, I told him of an ‘inner attraction’ to Oceania I felt. He encouraged me to discern well and be open wherever I would be sent. I gradually realized that this ‘attraction’ was becoming a ‘call’ to Oceania. So when I wrote my missionary application to the Rector Major I expressed my desire to respond to this ‘call’, yet I was sincerely open to wherever he would send me. So, one can imagine my joy when I finally received the news that I would be sent to Oceania.

Although surprised by my missionary vocation, my parents simply told me: “We have already entrusted you to God, go where He leads you. We support your decision.” Some of my friends praised my decision, others were worried. Some confreres wondered why I applied to be a missionary, others thought it was too early to be a missionary but the majority supported and encouraged me.

I am very happy to go to Papua New Guinea, a land rich in culture and traditions. As a missionary, I am aware of the great challenge of adapting to the various Melanesian cultures, values and lifestyles that are so different from my own Croatian culture as well as the challenge of gaining the trust of the young and the confreres of my new Vice-Province.

I willingly embrace my change of name from ‘Krešo’ to ‘Kris’ as already a very powerful reminder to me that I need to be open to being transformed by the new context and people I will encounter, learning from them and growing together in the faith because missions is first and foremost an exchange: I am ‘sent’ not only to bring something but above all to receive, to be transformed by the culture and people that I will meet in PGS Vice-Province!

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