This week's post was sent to us by Fr Francois Grossin SM, New Caledonia, from NZ Catholic, 6th March 2023. It is an address from Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi who is the first ever cardinal from Tonga and the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. He is also the President of Caritas Oceania and represents the region on key issues, especially climate change.    Traduction française : voir ci-dessous : Across the Pacific, people are picking up the bones of their ancestors like shells on the beach. Burial grounds are being washed away by rising tides. Communities are shoring up seawalls with old tyres. I was raised on the beautiful island of Tonga. When I was a child, my par...

San Isidro Care Centre was founded by the late Br. George van der Zant of the Society of Mary in 2007. Sr. Maria Fe Rollo SMSM  continues Br George's dream of changing the lives of deaf students in the Solomon Islands. Sr. Maria Fe Rollo has been a Missionary Sister of the Society of Mary for 15 years. Born in Davao City, Philippines, she joined the congregation when she was 36, drawn to its missionary charism of going out to the frontiers, proclaiming the Gospel inspired by and confident in Mary's help. She trained as a secondary teacher but has taught religious education in primary, secondary and tertiary settings, mostly in Davao City, Maitum, and General Santos City in the...

Our blog this week has been submitted by Br Ivan Vodopivec SM - agreed by Anei - a South-Sudanese Refugee who made it to England. Anei requested to keep his original name for his article. Notre blog de cette semaine a été soumis par le Frère Ivan Vodopivec SM - accepté par Anei - un réfugié sud-soudanais qui s'est rendu en Angleterre. Anei a demandé de conserver son nom d'origine pour son article. Name / Nom: Anei                      Country / Nationalité : South Sudan                       Ethnicity / Origine ethnique : Shilluk I was born in Malakal Town South S...

Fr Donato Kivi SM presented the following "Care for our Oceans" to the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania - a regional grouping that comprises the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands and the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) – which includes Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. At their recent Assembly held in Fiji from 5th – 10th February. Care for the Oceans Ferdinand Magellan and his exploration group g...

Our blog this week was referred to us by Fr Petero Matairatu sm, Director of Marist Training Centre, Tutu, Fiji. The booklet can be downloaded here – in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. It is the fruit of a common endeavor between the Vatican Dicastery of Integral Human development and the Stockholm Environment Institute. It is a useful resource for groups, parishes, schools in addressing current issues in 'Our Common Home'. Notre blog de cette semaine nous a été référé par le Père Petero Matairatu sm, Directeur du Centre de Formation Mariste, Tutu, Fidji. La brochure peut être téléchargée ici – en français, anglais, espagnol, italien et portugais. C'est le fruit d'un effor...

Aotearoa/New Zealand poet, Brian Turner has written a poignant little poem called Sky. Made all the more poignant with the recent weather bomb in Tāmakimakarau/Auckland it reads; If the sky knew half of what we are doing down here it would be stricken, inconsolable, and we would have nothing but rain.[i] This poem points to what American ecologist Eileen Crist calls the human supremacy complex[ii].In such a complex the human community and all its noble endeavours reigns supreme. Human industry takes over our planet home in almost every sphere. Extreme, and all too common, examples of human supremacy show up in what are called sacrifice zones[iii]. Almost every nation on Earth has its sacrifi...

Child Labor- now and then   [article sent by Jim Carty sm - Australia] The NOW How many times each day do you use your iPhone, or your Cell-Phone of whatever you call it. Next time you do, think of the "rare-earth" metal cobalt hidden inside- a critical component- Then ask yourself: where did it come from and who mined it and how was it mined? Chances are it came from the so-called Democratic Republic of Congo which is the world's largest cobalt mine, and was mined by either a large international Company or by one method known as artisanal mining That is to say, by a small-scale miner (ASM) who is a subsistence miner not officially employed by a mining company, but works independen...

Prière pour un Futur qui émerge Source de compassion, toi qui contiens toute vie, Rejoins-nous alors que nous tendonsvvers un futur qui naîtra de nos humbles efforts. Guide-nous dans ton futur qui émerge. Donne-nous la force de réduire les dommages que nous causons. Transfigure nos désespoirs, qu'ils deviennent les champs fertiles où germera un monde renouvelé. Nous t'invoquons, Esprit de bonté, pour que tu enveloppes toute chose d'une plénitude de bénédiction. Ouvre-nous à la force de vie qui anime tout ce qui vit, donne-nous le courage, enseigne-nous l'art de la co-création dans notre monde. Whaea nui o te Taiao katoa, inoi mō mātou. Mère de la nouvelle Création, prie pour nous Peter ...

Le P. Pascal Boidin sm, membre de la communauté de Notre-Dame de France à Londres, atransmis ce témoignage pour publication dans le n°170 du feuillet EuroInfo de la Province d'Europe. Cette mémoire des migrants morts en Méditerranée montre la préoccupation pour la justice de ces étudiants européens. Fr Pascal Boidin SM, from the community of Notre-Dame de France in London, sent EuroInfo this account of a meeting of students from various countries, on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where a deadly wreckage caused the death of several hundred migrants. It is a remembrance of the need of justice cared for by many young people all over Europe. Bonjour à tous, je m'appelle Charles Vibert. Je sui...

Marist Charism and Peace-making This last week, on 01 December, Marists from 4 corners of the world made Presentations on our Marist Charism and Peace-making.The Marists Presenting were: Fr Hermes [Larry] Sabud – Ranong Thailand; SMSM Sisters Gisèle, Christiana, & Monique – Ngozi, Burundi, Africa; Fr Miguel Contreras – Peru, South America; and Fr Donato Kivi – Fiji, Oceania. The invitation came from the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission – JPIC Roma – who organize a workshop each year to train JPIC Promoters for Religious Congregations around the world. The Workshop was run this year from 28 November until 02 December, and had the Theme: Pacem in Terris and Laudato Si i...

Fr Hermes [Larry] Sabud reports on recent efforts at Peace-Making in Thailand: INTERNATIONAL AND INTERCULTURAL DAY OF PEACE   Ranong, Thailand   21 September 2022 Peace is possible. Let's make it happen. This was the theme that the Marist Asia Foundation (MAF) Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (IRICD) Program adopted during the celebration of the International Day of Peace alongside the celebration of the MAF Intercultural Day. The celebration started with the Painting for Peace Exhibition participated by the three schools: The Guiding Star Learning Center, Phichai Rattanakhan School and MAF Burmese Migrant Secondary Program. The IRICD [Inter-religious and In...

Ross Flint, Marist Associate, and ordained member of the Anglican Communion, Tasmania, sends this short, stark, report – in the context of COP27 "World is on 'highway to climate hell",  - United Nations General Secretary warns at COP27 summit. António Guterres tells leaders 'global climate fight will be won or lost in this crucial decade – on our watch' In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change by limiting average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and coping with impacts that were, by then, inevitable. https://unfccc....

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, or COP27, is being held as the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, and occurs from 6 November until 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. One way we can all partake in the present and future care of our common home is through a Contemplative exercise – Earth Examen. The one below comes from the Season of Creation website.  Contemplation - Earth Examen: An examen is a way of beholding an object or being in prayerful wonder. Through questions, you are invited to reflect on God's presence and the goodness of that which you behold. Consider contempla...

Fr Damien Diouf SM, NDF London, Chair of our Migrants and Refugee Commission, recently sent this report: Notre Dame Refugee Centre has been working with refugees and asylum seekers for more than 25 years, thanks to the generosity of those who share our aims and beliefs. Originally, it was set up by Notre Dame de France in 1996, in response to changes in asylum and immigration laws that year. It was then registered as an independent charity in 2007. Like many of our supporters, many of our visitors are French speaking, but we have welcomed visitors from 98 different countries over the five past years. We remain a bilingual English and French speaking refugee centre.  Our immigration team...

New Zealander, Fr Tony O'Connor-Hickman SM spent 12 years in the parish church of San Felipe in Brownsville, a town on the border between the US and Mexico. It faces the Mexican town of Matamoros, divided by the Rio Grande and by the border wall.  He previously had been on mission in Venezuela and Peru. San Felipe parish has been at the forefront of the migrant crisis in the US border lands. Thousands of unaccompanied minors seeking safety and a better life have been detained by the US Border force. Fr Tony and his San Felipe team have cared for, and ministered to many of these children. Following is an appreciation of his ministry.  [note: ed: By Michael Seifert - f...

The Letter: This film was released on Tuesday 04th October, the last day of the Ecumenical Season of Creation. Produced by Oscar-winning producers Off the Fence it explores issues including Indigenous rights, climate migration, and youth leadership in the context of action on climate and nature. The highlight of the film is the exclusive dialogue that the protagonists have with Pope Francis. The Trailer, 2 mins, can be viewed here: https://theletterfilm.org/ The Movie, 80 mins, can be viewed here: https://theletterfilm.org/watch/ Both the Trailer, and the Movie are good news that can be spread in every family, every community, every school, parish, and diocese.  The press conference was...

Fr Paul Walsh sm, Irish Marist who spent some years in Norway, sent us this news from Elizabeth Golding, a friend and Marist Associate in Oslo, who calls Grandparents to care for the future of their Grandchildren:  The future of the grandchildren must be secured. Now the Grandparents' Climate Action is fighting for extensive use of solar roofs on public buildings. While the state is raking in extra billions on high energy prices, there must be room to invest much of it in energy-saving and climate-friendly solar panels on public buildings, such as churches and schools, Demands Elisabeth Golding and Grandparents' Climate Action.  The organization Grandparents' Climate Action is a ge...

This Reflection and Meditation anticipates the 4th Week of the Season of Creation, September 25th, World Day of Migrants and Refugees As people of faith, we can add our gaze to that of God's. We can acknowledge suffering, share the promise, and be the witness and voices that help bring about deliverance. Introductory word "Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees" is the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), celebrated on September 25, 2022. Pope Francis highlights the commitment that we are all called to share in building a future that embraces God's plan, leaving no one behind. …Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:7-10 Then the Lord said, "I...

Fr Jim Carty sm, Aussie Marist, calls us, in our current world situation, to remember the tragedy of Nuclear Warfare The secretary general of the United Nations warned on Monday (1stAugust 2022) that humanity was "just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation," citing the war in Ukraine among the conflicts driving the risk to a level not seen since the height of the Cold War. "All this at a time when the risks of proliferation are growing and guardrails to prevent escalation are weakening," the official, António Guterres, said. "And when crises — with nuclear undertones — are festering from the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula to Russia's invasion of U...

Peter Healy sm, Kiwi Marist, gives us this reflection on a recently released documentary:  Carbon the Unauthorized Biography This documentary film made in Australia in 2022 is all at once a cosmology, a geology and an ecology of carbon. Our planet home's most ubiquitous element, it is everywhere, in our bodies, our food and what we wear. As we all know it is blanketing our collective airspace given the millions of combustion engines in most every country on earth. If you have ever wondered what the carbon cycle is, then this documentary is for you. The carbon atom is cleverly animated in this film and speaks in the first person about our current crisis of extraction, burn and overload. ...