The river crossing at Vugalei village in the province of Macuata, where the Columbans have lived and worked with the local village (Columban Mission Society)
For us in Fiji and in the Pacific, water is never simply a resource. It is life. It surrounds our islands, feeds our communities, carries our stories, sustains our fisheries, shapes our cultures and connects generations. From the rivers and streams that flow through our communities to the mangroves, reefs and vast Pacific Ocean that surround us, water is woven deeply into who we are. This makes the theme for the 2026 Season of Creation, “Living Water,”particularly meaningful for us in Fiji.
Inspired by the vision of Ezekiel 47:1–12, we are invited not only to recognise water as a gift of God, but to become immersed in the work of healing and protecting the waters that sustain all life.
In Fiji, we know that the health of our land and sea is inseparable. What happens on our mountains, in our rivers and along our coastlines eventually reaches the ocean. Pollution, plastic waste, unsustainable development, biodiversity loss and the degradation of mangroves and marine ecosystems are not isolated environmental concerns; they affect our food, livelihoods, communities and future generations.
This interconnectedness was strongly reflected in the JPIC and Interreligious Dialogue joint celebration of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, where faith communities gathered at the Nasese foreshore for pray before coming together to reflect on ocean conservation, biodiversity, marine protected areas and our shared responsibility for creation.
Participants at a recent JPIC & IRD event, to commemorate World Oceans and Environment Day (Columban Mission Society)
The Season of Creation therefore invites us to move beyond simply speaking about the environment to immersing ourselves in it. Through the Columban JPIC ministry in Fiji, this has meant creating opportunities for people to encounter creation directly and respond through action. Our community clean-up activities along the Nasese foreshore have brought together Columbans, young people, students and community members to care for a coastal environment that continues to support a rich diversity of marine and coastal life. Our work with schools has similarly sought to nurture ecological awareness among young people, encouraging them to see themselves not merely as future leaders but as stewards and participants in the care creation today.
Our ecological initiatives also remind us that restoration can begin with small acts. The Ecological Way of the Cross undertaken with communities in Labasa, the development of the Columban Biodiversity Garden, school engagements, Laudato Si' formation, community clean-ups and interfaith environmental initiatives are all different expressions of the same call: to allow God's living water to flow through our communities and produce life. These initiatives may appear small when considered individually, but together they form a stream of action, relationship and hope.
For Pacific peoples, this call also carries a dimension of justice. Our communities are among those most closely connected to the ocean and natural environment, yet we continue to face the consequences of climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and pressures on marine resources.
Participants at a recent beach clean up at the Nasese foreshore (Columban Mission Society)
This Season of Creation, we are invited to step deeper into the water. To pray beside it. To listen to the communities whose lives depend upon it. To teach our children to value it. To restore the places, we have damaged. To protect our biodiversity. And to recognise that ecological care is our responsibility.
May this Season of Creation deepen that connection and inspire our churches, schools, communities and families to become streams of living water—allowing God to flow through our actions and into a future where our rivers, reefs, mangroves, oceans, communities and all living things can flourish together.
Noa Mervyn Tuivunilagi is the Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Coordinator (Region of Oceania)
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
