Leo Lefebure with students and teachers at Corpus Christi Teachers College. Photo: Pescila Magdalin
February 2026 was a significant and grace-filled moment for our interreligious journey in Fiji. As Columban IRD Coordinator, I was honoured to accompany Rev. Prof. Fr. Leo Lefebure during his visit from Washington, DC - a visit that deepened conversations, strengthened relationships, and renewed our shared commitment to dialogue across faith traditions.
Key messages from Leo Lefebure’s insights and experiences include the need to move from tolerance to genuine encounter. Interreligious dialogue is not simply about peaceful coexistence. Fr. Leo emphasised moving beyond tolerance toward honesty, in which people of different faiths build real relationships grounded in trust and openness.
- The Importance of respectful listening: Dialogue begins with listening. He stressed that respectful, attentive listening enables us to understand others within their own traditions rather than through assumptions or stereotypes.
- Relationship-Building as the Foundation of Peace: Strong personal relationships among religious communities lay the foundation for social harmony. Dialogue is not primarily an academic exercise but a lived, relational commitment.
- Shared Values Promote Social Harmony: Across faith traditions, there are shared values - such as compassion, justice, respect for human dignity, and care for creation—that can unite communities in working toward the common good. Interreligious engagement is not optional but part of the Church’s mission. Both clergy and lay faithful share responsibility in fostering unity and promoting peaceful coexistence in multicultural societies.
- Dialogue Requires Humility and Openness: True dialogue calls for humility - recognising that we can learn from others while remaining rooted in our own faith identity.
- Practical Engagement in Multicultural Contexts: In diverse settings like Fiji, dialogue must be practical and ongoing. It involves collaboration, shared initiatives, and consistent engagement rather than one-time events.
- Formation and Education are Essential: Seminarians, catechists, and lay leaders must be formed in the spirit of dialogue so that future Church leadership continues to strengthen interfaith and ecumenical relationships. These key messages collectively reinforce a vision of interreligious dialogue as a path toward deeper understanding, unity, and peace within the wider community.
The overall reaction to Fr. Leo’s presentations was very positive, appreciative, and reflective across all the groups he addressed. Participants expressed gratitude for the clarity and depth of his theological insights combined with practical experience. Many appreciated that his reflections were not merely theoretical but grounded in lived interreligious engagement. Several attendees shared that the talks renewed their commitment to interreligious and ecumenical relationships. Church leaders, catechists, and formation students indicated that they felt encouraged to take a more proactive role in fostering dialogue within their own communities.
Some participants mentioned that they felt more confident and better equipped to engage respectfully with members of other faith traditions. His emphasis on listening and relationship-building resonated strongly in Fiji’s multicultural context. Staff and formation students noted that the sessions helped broaden their understanding of the Church’s mission in a pluralistic society. There was recognition that interreligious dialogue is not optional but integral to pastoral ministry today. Beyond the content of the talks, the gatherings themselves created space for connection. Participants appreciated the opportunity to meet, share, and build relationships across communities—an impact that extends beyond the sessions. The visit was seen as timely and enriching. It strengthened awareness, deepened commitment, and encouraged practical steps toward ongoing dialogue in the greater Suva area.
As the Columban IRD Coordinator, I found Fr. Leo’s sessions deeply inspiring on both a personal and pastoral level. What inspired me most was how he clearly explained strong Church teachings and connected them to real-life experiences. He demonstrated that interreligious dialogue is not merely an academic discipline, but a way of life rooted in Gospel values. His witness affirmed that dialogue is mission. Fr. Leo’s focus on relationship-building resonated strongly with the Columban charism. He reminded us that authentic dialogue begins with friendship, trust, and presence among people of different faiths. This reaffirmed that our work is not about organizing events alone but about nurturing long-term relationships. In Fiji’s multicultural and multi-faith environment, his insights offered reassurance and clarity. He articulated that dialogue does not weaken faith identity; rather, it deepens it. That perspective was both encouraging and empowering for our local Church context.
His engagement with seminarians, catechists, and lay leaders inspired me to see formation as central to sustaining interreligious dialogue. The future of IRD depends on how well we prepare emerging leaders to embrace respectful listening and collaboration. Personally, his sessions renewed my conviction that interreligious dialogue is an essential dimension of the Church’s mission today. His humility, openness, and deep respect for other traditions were powerful reminders of the spirit in which we must approach this ministry.
Overall, Fr. Leo’s visit strengthened my commitment as Columban IRD Coordinator to continue fostering spaces of encounter, listening, and collaboration. His presence and sharing’s were not only informative but spiritually affirming and mission-focused, reinforcing our call to be bridge-builders in our diverse Fijian context.
Pescila Magdalin
Columban Interreligious Dialogue Coordinator (IRD)
Missionary Society of St. Columban (Region of Oceania)
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
