Naanise (kneeling front right) with participants inside the chapel at the Nazareth Prayer Centre. Photo: N.Mo’unga
During the Season of Creation (September 1 to October 4) and Mission Month (October), many activities took place in Fiji and around the world. I believe these activities show our interconnectedness. We may come from different backgrounds, places, communities, and walks of life - whatever your experience may be. But I am sure that whatever we do, people around the world are connected to us because something meaningful is happening.
We are all witnesses, whether we take part in person or via social media. That’s how we connect. Sometimes you never meet someone face-to-face, but through social media, you get to know them. The many activities during September and October occurred at different times and in various locations, yet we remained connected by sharing them on media platforms. This allowed others to become aware, participate, and learn. It also brought clarity to how we engage with each other and address the pressing issues of our time.
Walk with Creation
September is known as the “Month of Creation”. On 13 September 2025, JPIC (Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation) and IRD (Inter-Religious Dialogue) from the Columban Mission Office in Suva joined forces to organise an activity called “Walk with Creation”. The activity took place at the Nazareth Prayer Centre in Wailekutu.
A small group of people from different faiths gathered to pray along the Stations of the Cross at the Prayer Centre. During the walk, each denomination had the chance to share and pray, using their own languages and styles of prayer for creation. As we walked through nature, we found ourselves part of this chorus. Creation praises not for us, but with us. In its diversity and harmony, it manifests God’s splendour.
As part of the program, participants also visited the Fr Law Home—a residence for the elderly—located next to the Prayer Centre.
Pescila Magdalin, Fiji IRD Coordinator, with participants outside the dormitory for women at the Fr Law Home. Photo: N.Mo’unga
Ecumenical Prayer for Peace
On 4 October 2025, the Evangelisation Ministry at St. Pius X Parish in Raiwaqa, Suva, organised an Ecumenical Prayer for Peace. We went out to the streets, inviting members of the public. We lit a candle and offered a prayer, remembering those affected by conflict, and participants had the opportunity to place their palm print on the unity banner.
This day served as a powerful reminder that interfaith dialogue around the world continues to demonstrate how faith communities, when united, can create transformative movements for peace. Religious leaders across the globe have shown that our shared values—compassion, justice, and love—can bridge even the deepest divides. As Pope Francis exemplified through his pilgrimages to war-torn countries, and as faith leaders in many nations continue to show, our prayers and presence have the power to bring light to the darkest situations.
Loving God, we live in a world where peace is often hard to find. Help us to work diligently and seek peace in all that we do. Help us to look for You in our interactions with others. Help us to offer Your peace to everyone we meet and lead the way into a society that fosters harmony, where we all love one another as You would want us to love. We lift up communities where the parched earth has strained the bonds that hold neighbours together and frayed the ties within families. Bless those who draw others near—who create space for every voice and build peace through trust and listening hearts.
Handprint pledge for peace. Photo: N.Mo’unga
Pink October
On Friday, 24 October 2025 the staff at the Columban Central House organised an activity to recognise Breast Cancer Awareness. Guests were invited from The Fiji Cancer Society, represented by Farnia, a cancer survivor, and Shweta. Farnia and Shweta shared “that some people around you may try to help by telling you what you should do, which might even put too much pressure on you and leave you confused. When people of different faiths unite in prayer, we create a ripple of peace that extends far beyond our gathering. Your presence, your prayers, and your community’s voice add strength to this collective call for healing in our world.”
“Meaning is not a stop along the road of life; it is a way of walking through life. Don’t rush. The only place you need to reach is your destiny Some of these experiences can be painful and undoubtedly the hardest. These are very difficult times, so much so that you don’t know what to do to get out of that spiral of pain. Don’t be hard on yourself, and don’t be in a hurry to find solutions and answers.”
With all these activities happening at different times and places, interconnectedness itself is a cycle that encompasses many aspects of well-being. When we understand the true nature of ourselves, we better understand the true nature of society. We can then use that enhanced understanding to gain an even deeper understanding of both ourselves and society, and so on, in a repeating cycle. Connection to others benefits society by reducing violence and increasing compassion. If we can see the good in others, we can be more fully aware of their intentions and motivations, which can help us to relieve the suffering that goes on in the world.
Naanise (third from left), with Fr Donal McIlraith, Columban Central House staff and visitors from the Fiji Cancer Center. Photo: N.Mo’unga
Interconnectedness is supported by everyone. Extending loving kindness and compassion beyond our closest relationships to include all others allows us to experience a wider circle of connection and joy. These relationships include the broader web of all living and nonliving things. All of creation enriches us and gives our lives a sense of connection and meaning. As we take up our responsibility to care for creation, we experience less conflict and a sense of mutuality and equality in our attitude toward all of life. We are filled with a sense of mindful presence and kinship that motivates us toward right action as we care for ourselves and the universe of which we are all a part. Because we are not separate, but interconnected, we can experience a deeper sense of happiness and well-being..
Naanise Pola Mo’unga, Fiji.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
