Bishops Jubilee Message

The Paschal Candle and Cross and the reason
of our  Jubilee pilgrimage Called and chosen 



60 years have passed since the Catholic Church has been recognized as the Apostolic Vicariate.   We recognize the initiative of God through the missionary passion of the Marist fathers from Bouganville to the Shortlands and Choiseul to plant the seed of Christianity, followed by the Dominican order as soon as the Apostolic Vicariate was established.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

• Gizo has a History to tell, 60 years with dozens of MS missionaries, both women and men brought in by Bishop Wade.

• Gizo diocese too has a history of fifty years to tell written on the pastoral efforts of the Dominicans Missionaries women and men led by Bishop Crawford and O’Gredy.
• The Gizo diocese too has a History of 15 years under the leadership of Bishop Luciano Capelli, sdb marked by a strong emphasis on cultivating young priestly vocations and rebuilding the education priority of the diocese (both in structures and system).

We believe we have been called by Divine providence at this time to write the future history of our diocese looking to our roots in gratitude and dynamically journeying towards the future.
We have renewed our vision of faith. The paschal candle we brought around our parishesrepresents the reason of our commitment: to be the light of our people in our 8 parishes, because we have been consecrated in baptism for this mission.

• The Gizo Diocese is not an NGO working for social upliftment of people, it wants to be a resource in God’s hands in building His Kingdom of peace, justice, truth and love… all what is needed is welcome including the social rebuilding of new structures
• Sustained by the Holy Spirit we firmly believe and proclaim our faith in the resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit in each person. He alone can renew the face of the earth not simply by projects which uplift people but with the grace which liberates them

We have rewened our commitment to the mission. The Cross we accompanied around in our pilgramage is the symbol of the new life we have embraced;

• The very reason for which we have been consecrated in Baptism is because of the demand of the mission. Liberation from the old person and rebirth into a new person, living the values of Jesus Christ in our daily lives…
• We commit to proclaim the mission by living a life of discipleship of Jesus. We accept the challenge to live the Paschal Mystery in our lives, living and dying as we fulfill His mission by being another Christ.

As we visited our 8 parishes we  proclaimed these values in a simple liturgical WAY OF THE LIGHT,  in which we accompanied Jesus not only through 14 stations of the cross but even in 14 stations after His resurrection when Jesus strengthens the faith of his disciples, keeps them united and challenges them to the new mission under the power of the Holy Spirit

How faithful have we been to the goals of our celebration? Are we more aware of our baptismal consecration, are we more committed to our mission in our day life? May the cross and the candle remind us that we have been chosen, called, consecrated and sent for a mission… which no one else can do for us.