From August 19 to 23, 2019 the members of the Province of Oceania gathered for our Provincal Assembly. We were blessed by the presence of 3 newly incorporated confreres from Fiji and Papua New Guinea as well one of our students on his pastoral Placement. We gathered at a retreat centre St Joseph’s Kincumber on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. On this site Australia’s first saint, St Mary of the Cross McKillop, founded one of her original works.
We used a simple process of quiet reflection on some questions about the living of our Vincentian Mission and charism in the 3 Countries of our Province (Australia, Fiji and Solomon Islands). This was followed by group sharing and then reporting to the whole Assembly. We looked realistically at the strengths and challenges of our Mission. We also were gifted with video presentations of lay people who live the Vincentian Charism in our 3 Countries. Through these presentations and the presentation of confreres, we actually heard the poor speaking to us and the effect that our Vincentian mission has on them.
Each day an outside observer offered a theological reflection on what he had seen and heard in our daily reflections and sharing.
By the end of the week there emerged nine recommendations to Visitor as we look forward realistically with hope into the 2020’s.
We have come to see that our diversity of cultures, nationalities and countries of origin bring a richness and strength to our Province and that our collaboration with laypeople and the Province of Indonesia ensures the continuity and development of our mission into the next decade. We were truly blessed by God in our days together.
Fr Gregory Brett CM
Visitor Province of Oceania
