Honouring faith and mission

Aloisio Tamatawale and his wife blessed by Archbishop Peter Loy. - Photo: Sainiana Tamatawale 

Thursday, November 27, 2025, was a glorious day for the Archdiocese of Suva. We rejoiced with the 58 dedicated men and women of the Navesi Catechist Training Centre, Class of 2023–2025, who were formally installed as catechists. The Installation Mass was held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Suva, presided over by the Most Reverend Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.

This installation marks the culmination of the catechists' intense three-year formation and the beginning of their vital ministry across our parishes. My family rejoiced and praised God during the installation this day because one of the 58 newly installed catechists was my brother, Aloisio Tamatawale. It was a moment of deep gratitude and blessing as we witnessed the fruits of faith, commitment and service.

The Navesi Catechist Training Centre was inaugurated in May 1973 by Columban Fr Jim Gavigan (RIP). It was established to formalise the training of lay catechists to lead communities in the absence of priests, particularly in rural and remote areas of the Archdiocese of Suva. Fr Gavigan directed the Centre until 1980, when he handed it over to a local diocesan priest, Fr Ray Kavuru.

As I reflect on that moment in our faith journey, on how the faith was taught, shared, lived and practised, I see that it all begins at home. Growing up, our family listened to stories from my paternal grandparents about missionary priests.

The missionaries were young, mostly Irish, tall, fair-skinned and most with red hair, who evangelised, preached and taught the faith, including the catechism of the Catholic Church and its traditions and devotions, to various communities. They were Columban missionary priests.

Our grandparents faithfully passed on the Catholic traditions, feasts and devotions they learned from the Columban missionary priests. Through the difficulties, challenges, sadness and joyful moments we have experienced in life, we have held firmly to our faith because of what we witnessed in the lives of our grandparents and parents. The faith they lived and practised, grounded in Catholic traditions and devotions and trusting in God, has been fruitful, as two from my family have become Columban Lay Missionaries, one a Columban priest and one a catechist. All were trained, formed and educated by Columban priests who served in Fiji.

Although many of these missionary priests have now passed away or returned to Ireland, the flame of faith remains alive in our families and in the lives of many Catholics throughout Fiji.

I believe that synodality began to be taught and practised by Columban missionary priests in Fiji in the 1970s, particularly through the establishment of the Catechist Training Centre in Navesi to train and empower laypeople to participate in God’s mission.

Pope Francis enlivened the Church. He reminded us of synodality and led us along the path of a Synodal Church in which all baptised Christians walk together in faith, in the spirit of Participation, Communion and Mission.

Columban lay missionary Sainiana Tamatawale lives and works in Fiji.