With no internet access, how could the parish priest have got their address in Cirencester, an English country town?

And how could he know his request was exactly what they specialize in, which is implied in their name: SPICMA - Special Projects in Christian Missionary Areas.

Now, with the building complete and the new St Mark's Church soon to be re-consecrated, they have the answer. It's all because a bishop was elevated to archbishop.

St Mark's is in the village of Fote in the diocese of Auki on Malaita island. The bishop of Auki, an American Dominican missionary, Chris Cardone OP, had been appointed archbishop of Honiara, the Solomons capital.

About to move, he threw out a cache of old magazines.

"It is not only by mistake I pick one up," said Fr Albert Kalu, the parish priest, "but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."

In the magazine, he found a reference to the work of SPICMA, an entirely voluntary charity founded 50 years ago to assist poor parishes such as his. Moreover, it gave the charity's address.

"Knowing our rural situation and so sympathising with our struggling community," he thought, such a charity should be able to help.

So he wrote asking for a grant to rebuild St Mark's, previously a timber and attap hut built in 1976 "at the time of the transition of our people here from paganism to Christianity."

The charity gave £16,000 that has helped to provide a brick-built church with glazed windows accommodating 300 worshippers which "will serve our community for 100 years," said Fr Kalu.

The ceremony to re-consecrate the new St Mark's will take place in December. And Fr Kalu has invited SPICMA to attend.

Source

Supplied: SPICMA press release from Mike MacLachlan

Since its foundation in 1950, St Mark's parish in the village of Fote, on Malaita has worshipped in a hut made of wood and palm leaves.

But in a hand-written appeal to the charity SPICMA (Special Projects in Catholic Missionary Areas), the parish priest Fr Albert Kalu, sought help for a major upgrade - because of global warming.

The island has "started to experience the effects of climate change," he wrote. "Cyclones, winds and torrential rains are now a common phenomenon."

Also, the number of Catholics has risen over the years from 500 to 1,800.

Parishioners had begun to build a new church, he wrote, (as featured above) but ran out of money after the roof and corner posts were put up. Work "has come to a standstill due to families having other financial commitments."

Fr Kalu's appeal came as a surprise to SPICMA. "A handwritten letter through the post is something we haven't seen in a long time and speaks to the remote nature of the place," said Cathy Forman, SPICMA's voluntary administrator.

"Also, we have no idea how Fr Kalu heard of us and got our address."

However, SPICMA agreed to donate £8,250 towards the cost of the project. The charity, which relies entirely on volunteers, with no paid staff, also got in touch with the bishop of Auki diocese, Dominican Chris Cardone - recently appointed archbishop of Honiara, the capital.

"We were notified that the funds have arrived safely," said Ms Forman.

Sources

• Mike MacLachlan in Catholic Times
• Image: SPICMA

As the country enters a new phase with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) withdrawing military personnel this year, many Solomon Islanders acknowledge progress toward reconciliation, but also the need to continue addressing issues of land ownership, development and restoration of a healthy society.

"People have been reconciled and you can see there is healing when there is acceptance, restoration of relationships and communal activities slowly come back," Rev Graham Mark, Secretary of the Anglican Church of Melanesia's (ACOM) Commission on Justice, Reconciliation and Peace, said. "All those things tell us we have achieved something, but the challenge is to sustain what has been achieved."

Resentment by the indigenous Gwales of Guadalcanal towards Malaitan settlers on their island escalated as unemployment and hardship worsened during the 1997-98 Asian economic downturn.

The island of Malaita, 100km east of Guadalcanal Island, is heavily populated and, from the early 1900s, Malaitans dominated migrant labour on Guadalcanal's plantations and then urban jobs as Honiara became the hub of services and employment.

The local Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) evicted Malaitan settlers, accusing them of taking land and jobs, before taking up arms against rival resistance group Malaita Eagle Force (MEF). By 2002, 35,000 people, or 9 per cent of the population, were displaced, several hundred had died or disappeared and many more experienced or witnessed human rights violations.

The National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) began hearing people's testimonies in 2010 and delivered its final report to the government last year, although it is yet to be passed through Cabinet before public scrutiny.

Reuben Lilo, director of peace and reconciliation in the Ministry of National Unity, says the TRC programme captured the experiences of many people, but more attention is needed to support this occurring in rural areas where there are limited government services. Continue reading

Sources

• The New Zealand Herald
• Image: Commonwealth Secretariat

Most of the songs featured on the DVD are original compositions in the Kwara'ae Language with English interpretations on screen.

Song writer and Singer Festus Fiu say the aim of the band is to spread the gospel to the country music loving people of the Kwara'ae region.

The Kwara‘ae are the largest cultural group in the Solomons and constitute one of ten linguistic/cultural groups on Malaita, the most populous island.

Source

• Solomon Times
• Scholarshipspace
• Image: lifthaus

Pat is going to the Solomon Islands to put into place the John McEvoy Scholarship for Girls with money she and her daughters have raised in England. It is hoped that the scholarships will allow seven or eight girls to go to secondary school.

This will be the first time Pat has visited the Solomons, a country where her husband lived and worked as a teacher and missionary for 18 years.

John McEvoy was an Irish priest and missionary with the Society of Mary. In 1952 he went to the Solomon Islands. He ran a school of 400 children at Buma, on the island of Malaita, where he remained for almost 18 years. John was a dedicated teacher who was particularly keen to promote girls' education. As the saying goes: "Educate a girl and you educate a nation".

In 1969, because of ill health exacerbated by the tropical climate, he returned to Europe, taking up a parish in Devon. In 1972 he married and had a family of four daughters. He continued teaching in England all his life.

John died in Sept 2009. In his memory, his family and friends have established the John McEvoy Scholarship for Girls to fund and support education for girls from Buma and the surrounding area.

Source

• The Dorset Echo
• JohnMcEvoy Scholarships
• Image Dorset Echo

Deacon Samuel Maetara, 33, is from Malaita Province in the Southern region of the Solomon Islands. He says that he feels called to serve the poor, rejected and marginalized and believes that he is called to do that as a Marist priest.

He began his formation at Marist College, Bomana, Papua New Guinea in 2005.
 In 2007 he went to Fiji for his noviciate year before returning to Bomana in 2008 to continue his studies.

In 2009 Samuel transferred to Marist Seminary Auckland and continued studies at Good Shepherd College. In 2011 he worked at Chanel College, a high school in Samoa, and this year returned to continue his formation at Marist Seminary and complete his studies at Good Shepherd College. During the year he made his lifelong commitment to Marist life by taking Final Vows.

Tom Rarakani, Samuel's oldest brother, traveled from the Solomon Islands to represent his family at the Samuel's ordination.

Tom has a background in teaching. At one stage he had a senior role in the ministry of education for the Solomon Islands and currently he is a fulltime student at the University of the South Pacific (Honiara Campus), where he is doing a doctorate in Business Studies. He is married with children and hopes to complete his studies next year.

Source

• Marist Seminary Auckland
• Image: Marist Seminary Auckland

In his keynote address during celebrations to mark the province's 2nd Appointed Day, Philip highlighted the significant contribution of Malaitans toward nation-building since the colonial era.

For this reason, Philip said Malaita is an "integral part of Solomon Islands and as the most populous province, its manpower resource is an important asset to our nation".

"Malaita's contribution to our nation building and national unity must be acknowledged by all our other provinces, and as your prime minister, may I on behalf of the…government and people of this nation apologize to you Premier, and people of Malaita for any hurt and hate that have been committed against you and our people of Malaita in the past," Philip said.

He described development of Malaita province as "Mission Possible," adding that his government is prepared to implement a number of projects to kick start development in the province.

Source

• Marianas Variety
• Image: The Australian

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing has received the backing of the government and the provincial government of Malaita. The Premier of Malaita Edwin Suibaea has praised the 19 former militants for taking the brave step in testifying before the TRC. "Especially our participating ex-combatants who responded positively to the call despite opposition from peer groups and other ex-combatants. As Premier of Malaita and the former chairman of the Malaitan Peace and Reconciliation Committee, it is an honour to be here today to congratulate you and encourage you to participate as best as you can in the public hearing to witness history in the making."

Commission chair Father Sam Ata said the apology came as 19 combatants from the Malaita Eagle Force gave testimony. Ata says the militants told the hearing they'd retaliated after the government failed for 18 months to respond to their demands for compensation for the deeds of Guadalcanal forces."They took up arms just purely out of revenge for what the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army did to women and girls, they raped women, and also the girls and violently harassed the people from Malaita." Father Ata says while the Malaitan militants were cautious about speaking about their own actions for fear of prosecution, the apology is an important part of the healing process.

Before their appearance, Dyke Angiki, Head of TRC Communication Unit said about 19 ex-MFE militants were members of the core group that had been provoked to pick up arms when the ethnic tension started in 1998. He said these former militants had stayed in touch with their rivals from Guadalcanal and would like to see this country move forward."They went through screening twice before being selected for this hearing. They should go through the process of counselling with the local counsellors throughout this week until Monday." Fr Maka and other counsellors are doing the counseling for them.

Source
ABC Pacific Beat Former Malaitan militants testify in Solomons TRC
Central Malaita Student Association
Radio New Zealand
Image: ICJT