"Quo vadis"? or "Where are you going"?

This is the question that Christian tradition puts on the lips of Jesus when he appeared to Peter on his way out of Rome to escape being crucified. Still today in the Appian Way near the saint Callixtus cemetery you can admire a chapel built by the early Christian community of Rome to commemorate the event. Tradition also tells us that Peter then went back to Rome to be tried and having been found guilty of being a Christian was crucified (at his request he was granted to be crucified differently from the master, with the head down) "Where are you going" is a question than can make you think deeply in the direction of your life. It can even eventually change the direction where you are going.

This is the question that 20 Pastoral workers of the Catholic Diocese of Gizo asked themselves for the past 15 days. Where did we decide to go 3 years ago in our Diocesan Assembly? Are we stagnant? are we going that direction? Is that really where God wants to go? How can we plan our pastoral action so as to make sure you are going the right way, where the Spirit wants us to go.

We then took all aspects of the life of the Diocese, care of the large community, care of the smaller communities, care of the families. Pastoral Care of the various groups of people, in the various aspects of life: care for health, education, for the youth, for seminarians, for church workers, for peace reconciliation and justice, for the basic needs of the faithful.

May be we did not make a perfect job, but we really felt happy for what we did together, we felt proud we did it and we made a commitment to God and each other in working hard in solidarity in the clear direction indicated by the Master plan.

While some new frontiers have been identified, some priorities have been set, some specific actions on short and medium term have been identified, a lot more remains to be done in the implementation process. Feeling good however about our goals and direction makes us trust that we will gradually progress in the right direction. The spirit of solidarity we have established and are committed to live makes us confident that we will reach the goals we have set for ourselves.

We look ahead with courage and enthusiasm in giving our full support to the Western and Choiseul provinces in the implementation of an educational plan which will have long lasting impacts in the education standards of the youth of the area.

We are confident that the solidarity will grow and snowball involving other churches as well in the same efforts.

The plans are ambitious but the spirit is willing and working, the people too are committed.... And so we forge ahead with courage and enthusiasm... our hearts lifted on high.

Bishop Luciano Capelli, sdb

Gizo Diocese