When and where were you born?
I was born in 1968 on the northern island of Fiji on a remote village called Koroivonu, pronounced as co-row-ee-vo-noo, which means, a refuge of drifting turtles. Unfortunately my people have not lived up to this title, every salt water turtle that drifts in ends up in a pot! My village faces the Pacific Ocean and situated alongside a river which pours down from the mountainous tropical rain forest. Coconut trees and white sandy beaches fringe the coastlines of the village. I greet you with the famous Fijian greeting, “Bula!” (Hello! Happy Life!)
Memories of your childhood/family/upbringing/schooling?
Life back home is basically relaxed and casual, clocks barely exist and things get done when they are done! Tourists call it the “Fijian Time!” Doing absolutely nothing is not beyond comprehension. A major characteristic of life in Koroivonu is those intricacies of social interaction amongst my extended families and close tribes, between brothers, sisters, cross-cousins, namesakes, uncles and the like. There is never a dull moment! I was brought up to relate and respect according to age, sex and social distance. Life was absolutely communal. It still is but being challenged today by the ever growing materialism and individualistic lifestyle. Memories of my childhood are filled with ceremony of varying degrees. Kava drinking or non-alcoholic yaqona, a bitter peppery concoction has always been a part of my Fijian village way of life. Depending on the occasion and situation, three ceremonies are most important back home; they are birth, death and marriage. These ceremonies are not as stringent today as in times past.
When/why did you decide to enter the seminary?
My decision to enter the seminary was done after serious prayer and discernment. It came about unexpectedly. A Divine Word Missionary priest from the Philippines came to Fiji in the 1980s to work in the Archdiocese of Suva. I was attracted to his humanity. He was a good man of God. There was something about him that made me “swallow” the bait. Was I hungry? The bait was the excitement of missionary life that he talked about. He did paint a rosy picture about the missionary work of the Church. Of course little did I realise that there would be thorns along the way and crosses to carry. I entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1993 and studied at Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne. At the initial stage I was not fully secure in my calling and level of commitment, but felt it was important to make use of the seminary years to listen and discern God’s will.
Memories of seminary life?
My seminary life was like the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (Jn 4:1-42). Jesus asked the woman for water in order to quench his thirst, and he gave her the gift of the living water of faith. But definitely not without misunderstanding, tensions and crossing boundaries. My SVD formators and professors were like Jesus making a dialogue possible between me and Jesus. In small steps they have led me to my own well-spring, to my own depths, and have helped me to make my own discoveries of personal fears, unworthiness and His gift of priesthood. My faith is still a questioning one and I am still searching like everyone else. But I am also sharing it with our Aboriginal peoples of Central Australia and inviting them to start their own dialogue with Him.
When and where were you ordained?
I was ordained on the 14 Dec 2003 at St Anne’s Parish, Fiji, by His Grace Archbishop Petero Mataca.
What areas of ministry have you worked in since ordination?
I have worked mainly in parishes ministries for at least five years. I am currently a Chaplain for the Aboriginal Catholics serving 16 remote communities in Central Australia in the Diocese of Darwin.
What have been the highlights of your ministry to date?
To be sent by the Aboriginal Catholics of Central Australia to represent them at the United Nations Indigenous Forum in New York, 2006. It was a humble recognition on their part that I could speak on their behalf.
What challenges have you faced in your ministry and how have these been overcome (if at all)?
a) Learning the Aboriginal language,
b) tackling the social problems that affect aboriginal peoples and fighting racism in Alice Springs;
c) lack of resources for ministry
What is the best advice you would pass on to future seminarians?
People who are hungry and thirsty for God effectively proclaim the Good News even without big words.
What are your personal hopes for the future of the Church in Australia?
My hope is that the Catholic Church will find more effective ways in attacking the root cause of problems that enslave aboriginal people and which generate pockets of both great wealth and poverty. One would be blind not to see that there is an inbuilt process of exclusion that is at work on the economic, social and political levels. The gap is widening and more crumbs are falling from the rich person’s table, not the common Table of the Bread and the Word.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
My parents and Bishop Eugene Hurley and the late Mahatma Ghandhi.
What was the last book you read or movie you saw?
I’ve just watched the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The appalling sights of Indian slums mixed with the joy of winning 20 million rupees. What a mix! I’m now reading “Blood on the Wattle” about massacres and maltreatment of aboriginal Australians.
Your favourite travel destination?
Alice Springs – the flies are very friendly!
What hobbies/pastimes are important to you?
I’m a rugby Sevens fanatic and I like good movies.
A bit of fun – what would you like the inscription on your headstone to read?
“Best Before Last Week”.
