By Fr. Bernie Graham, SDB

Melbourne, Australia - On Friday 22 January, the Memorial of Blessed Laura Vicuna, the Provincial Councils of the SDB Australia-Pacific Province (AUL) and the FMA South Pacific Region Province (SPR) held their annual combined meeting at the FMA Province Centre at Scoresby in Melbourne, Australia.

The membership of the two Councils reflect the diverse cultures and internationality of our two provinces – this membership includes people whose origins are from Australia (4), Ireland (2), Samoa (2), India (2), Vietnam (1) and United States (1)! And our two Provinces cover the countries of Australia, Samoa, Fiji, and New Zealand for the SDB and Australia, Samoa and Solomon Islands for the FMA.

During our meeting we discussed matters of common interest and concern, sharing many ideas and addressing issues that confront us:

• The places and situations in which we have a shared ministry – SDB and FMA sharing or collaborating in a common ministry – of which there are many!
• Shared Salesian Youth Ministry initiatives and activities
• Governance procedures in shared ministries
• Promotion of the Salesian Family
• Possible sharing in Annual retreats
• Best Practice in the Care of the sick and elderly confreres and sisters

This time of sharing highlighted the very many situations in which the SDB and FMA ministries and communities ‘intersect’ with each other and the tremendous mutual understanding, respect and reliance we have on each other as we minister to the young in this very distant and vast region of our Salesian World.

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In the photo:

Standing: Br Michael Harris, Sr Helen McMahon, Fr Petelo Vito Pau, Sr Delma Lamb, Fr Phillip Gleeson, Sr Kathleen Hanna, Fr Greg Chambers (SDB Provincial), Sr Rochelle Lamb

Front Row: Sr Sialei Puapuaga, Fr Anthony Nguyen, Fr Bernie Graham, Sr Edna Mary MacDonald (FMA Provincial)