Journey to a small village in Fiji where a Columban Fr La Aung lives sandwiched between Muslim and Hindu neighbours, and how shared meals, festival celebrations, and honest conversations about life and death can bridge religious divides, proving that true peace in diversity is possible.
Columban Fr La Aung sharing in the hospitality and community building with Hindu and Muslim friends and neighbours in Fiji. Photos: Fr La Aung
My name is Fr La Aung, a Columban missionary priest from Myanmar. Currently, I am serving in Fiji. At the moment, I am learning the Hindi language and carrying out my priestly ministry in a small Indo-Fijian village called Naleba.
The majority of the people in the village are Hindu and Muslim, while Christians are a minority. Yet what touched me deeply was the harmony among the people. Despite belonging to different religions, the community lives peacefully. They consider themselves one family, descendants of the same ancestors who journeyed together to Fiji many generations ago. During my time in the village, I never heard of conflict between Christians, Hindus, or Muslims.
I stayed in a small community chapel in the village, and my closest neighbours were Muslim and Hindu families. A Muslim family lived on my left side and a Hindu family on my right side, while I stayed in the middle. Their kindness and hospitality made me feel truly welcomed. Sometimes they invited me to meals and their family prayer gatherings. Through these friendships, I was able to serve not only the Christian community but also to encounter the faith and culture of others.
From time to time, I joined Hindu and Muslim festivals. One evening, when I was joining in the celebration of Diwali with a family, one man approached me and asked, “Father, do you also celebrate the festival of light, something like us, ' Diwali '?” Then, I shared with him about how we Christians celebrate Easter by blessing the fire and lighting the Paschal candle, symbolising Christ as the light of the world. Through such sharing, we reflected common spiritual values and traditions that unite us beyond the religious boundaries. I also had opportunities to observe Muslim prayers. What impressed me was the discipline and reverence with which Muslims worship God.
One of the experiences that I would like to share is from the funeral prayer service. After the prayers, a man from another faith approached me and asked, “Father, do you really think our prayers can help the person who has died?” He explained that, in his belief, after death, a person cannot change their behaviours anymore; if they did good, they will go to heaven; if not, they will go to hell.
In response to his question, I did not say that he is right or wrong, but I shared with him that our prayers are not for the dead to change their past actions, but we pray that God, in His mercy, may welcome their souls into eternal peace. At the end of our conversation, he smiled warmly and said, “It is good to talk with you, Father! Come one evening to visit my place and have dinner.” He then gave me his phone number.
This simple encounter became a beautiful example of interfaith dialogue. And it reminded me that through openness and friendship, we can make a respectful conversation for unity. Finally, living among the Indo-Fijian community in Naleba taught me that peace in diversity is truly possible.
Columban Fr La Aung is from Myanmar and is currently serving in Fiji.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban Interfaith eBulletin.
