This page:    USP chaplain visits     Marist chaplain at Joeys     Oceania chapter     Yoshitake arrives     Montbel construction     Kiwi seminarian

USP chaplain visits

Senior lecturer and chaplain at Fiji's University of South Pacific, Fr John Bonato SM, has visited his native Western Australian during January.

Born at Katanning, W.A., and educated by the Benedictines of New Norcia, Fr John has worked at USP for thirty two years. He is presently Divisional Head of Earth and Environmental Sciences at USP as well as being senior chaplain to its twenty thousand students and Catholic chaplain. When not lecturing in Chemistry and Geology at the university he is active in the Charismatic Renewal movement and Rotary International in Fiji.

Marist Chaplain at Joeys

Fr Andrew Nee SM, has been appointed chaplain to St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, NSW. With 750 boarders and 250 day students the college, established by the Marist Brothers in 1881, is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Born in New Zealand and working in the Philippines Marist Mission District for several years Fr Andrew is excited about the new ministry which resumes an older tradition of Marist chaplains at the college. He will continue to reside at nearby Villa Maria monastery where he has recently concluded a period of personal renewal.

Oceania Chapter concludes

After two weeks of torrenial rains and flooding the two-week long Provincial Chapter of Marists in Oceania has concluded at the Pacific Regional Seminary, Suva, Fiji. 

The Ausralian Province was represented by Vicar-Provincial, Fr Bob Barber SM (in the far right of the photo above).

Among other decisions the Chapter elected four delegates to accompany the provincial to the General Chapter of the Marist Fathers in Rome later this year. They are Fr Lote Raiwalui, Fr Michael O'Connor, Fr Susitino Poe and Fr Anaua Finau.

Right: Provincial, Fr Paul Donohue SM, renews religious vows at a ceremony in the chapel of Marist College, Suva, marking his forty years of religious life.

Yoshitake arrives in Australia

41-yr-old Yoshitake Shiragami arrives from Nara Prefecture, Japan, to continue English language studies. Yoshi hopes to eventually enter the international Marist novitiate in Davao, Philippines.

He has joined the community of Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, Sydney, while studying at an English training centre at nearby Chatswood.

'Montbel' construction continues

Work continues on 'Montbel', the new retirement facility being constructed at Hunters Hill, NSW.

Kiwi seminarian returns

New Zealand Marist seminarian, Matthew Crawford, arrives in Sydney after two years of pastoral experience in Mexico.

Matt is spending several weeks participating in the cross cultural re-entry program conducted at the Josephite centre, Baulkham Hills, NSW, before returning to theology studies at the Marist seminary in Auckland.