austraLasia #3288
SUVA (Fiji): 26 September 2013 -- Fully aware that Salesian work began all those years back with "a simple catechism lesson", the Salesians in Fiji, located at Don Bosco House, Nakasi, an outlying suburb of Suva, have embarked on a catechetical venture that has aroused great interest, not only for families whose children do not attend Catholic schools, but also in the local Church.
Sunday 22 September 2013 was the starting Sunday for this venture, run by the novices and postnovices at Don Bosco House under the guidance of their Rector and Fr Jim Kyaw Hoe sdb - except that the Rector on this occasion had to attend a Rector's meeting in Australia, so left the initial event in Fr Jim's very capable hands!
Registrations from interested primary and secondary school children, and even older, have been coming in thick and fast. Sunday 22nd happened to be a day of heavy rain as only the islands can produce, so the fact that 30 children turned up for the first occasion is regarded as an excellent omen. A bright sunny day could well see a 100 of them!
The community is offering six classes for specific groups on Sundays: one for 6-7 year olds, then others for the 8-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-17 and 18-19 age groups.
While a Sunday school venture does not sound so startling, it is a novelty for the Fijian Church - something that the Methodists have done very well up to now but the local Catholic Church had not thought of trying! Many of our young Salesians studying in Fiji have a different background, from Samoa where the Church is very much into Sunday sessions for religious instruction, so they bring their experience now to the Fijian situation. Parents whose children do not attend Catholic schools are delighted with the new venture, and local parish priests are watching with interest. It looks like the idea will catch on.
SUVA (Fiji): 26 September 2013 -- Fully aware that Salesian work began all those years back with "a simple catechism lesson", the Salesians in Fiji, located at Don Bosco House, Nakasi, an outlying suburb of Suva, have embarked on a catechetical venture that has aroused great interest, not only for families whose children do not attend Catholic schools, but also in the local Church.
Sunday 22 September 2013 was the starting Sunday for this venture, run by the novices and postnovices at Don Bosco House under the guidance of their Rector and Fr Jim Kyaw Hoe sdb - except that the Rector on this occasion had to attend a Rector's meeting in Australia, so left the initial event in Fr Jim's very capable hands!
Registrations from interested primary and secondary school children, and even older, have been coming in thick and fast. Sunday 22nd happened to be a day of heavy rain as only the islands can produce, so the fact that 30 children turned up for the first occasion is regarded as an excellent omen. A bright sunny day could well see a 100 of them!
The community is offering six classes for specific groups on Sundays: one for 6-7 year olds, then others for the 8-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-17 and 18-19 age groups.
While a Sunday school venture does not sound so startling, it is a novelty for the Fijian Church - something that the Methodists have done very well up to now but the local Catholic Church had not thought of trying! Many of our young Salesians studying in Fiji have a different background, from Samoa where the Church is very much into Sunday sessions for religious instruction, so they bring their experience now to the Fijian situation. Parents whose children do not attend Catholic schools are delighted with the new venture, and local parish priests are watching with interest. It looks like the idea will catch on.
