Sr. Josephine Gresham, Smsm

Provincial

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The Province of South Pacific

Hi, I'm Josephine Gresham, Provincial Leader for the South Pacific Province.

Our province is made up of five small island countries of New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Philippines, these countries are scattered across thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Our sisters have been present in this part of the world, except the Philippines since the early 1800s. At present there are 120 sisters living and working in the province and 42 sisters from this province working in other parts of the world. We have 18 sisters in Fiji, 6 of whom are full time tertiary students studying at either the University of South Pacific or at the Catholic Teachers' Training College. We also have sisters teaching at the Training College and at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva. Other sisters are involved in teaching religious education and remedial work, others work with the poor, especially those with Hansen's Disease. Some are involved in Interfaith dialogue.

In Samoa we have 20 sisters. Our presence there, since the beginning, has been very much in the education, this also involves the formation of teachers for religious education and adult home economics. We have sisters working in pastoral planning and home visiting. One of the special features in Samoa is our group of elderly Samoan sisters, women who have given their lives in the service of mission and now support the Church throughout the world by their prayer and joyful presence.

Tonga is a Kingdom comprising four island groups. We have 17 sisters in three of these groups. On the most distant group we have two sisters, one teaching in a government school the other doing pastoral work. Isolation is a key factor here, there is no contact by air and only four boats a year. There are two other sisters on the island of Vavau in more or less similar circumstances though there are regular flights to and from the island. On the main island of Tongatapu we have 13 sisters in four communities. Here the sisters run:

• a business college for tertiary students.
• a vocational training school for students unable to progress to senior secondary level.
• a clinic, home health visits for those in isolated places and pastoral visiting.

The Philippines are our newest foundation, we only began here in 1987. We are on the island of Mindanao where we have twelve sisters in four communities. Each of these communities are separated from the other by a bus ride of at least 3 to 4 hours. Sisters in the Philippines work in Campus Ministry and college retreats. Others among tribal people where they provide adult literacy programs, home care and nutrition. Some work in ministry with prisoners, prostitutes and as hospital chaplains.

New Zealand has the largest number of sisters with 53. This is because we have many sisters returning home from all parts of the world, after 30 or 40 years of missionary service. Many of these sisters are still involved in ministries such as pastoral visiting, spiritual direction, teaching English as a second language and interfaith dialogue. New Zealand also provides the venue for our central house of formation for young women preparing to take vows in our congregation. After they have made their vows they could be missioned to any of thirty or so countries around the world where we have sisters involved in missionary service.

As Provincial leader it is my responsibility to keep in touch with all these sisters, to visit them in their communities and to experience for myself something of the reality of their work place. Some live in politically troubled areas, other under the threat of violence, some struggle with the evils of poverty, discrimination and injustice. Most are successfully forming leaders, strengthening knowledge, faith and encouraging all to build towards a future full of hope.

They are a joyful group of women proclaiming the gospel not only by their words and actions but more importantly by their very presence, standing alongside those to whom they have been sent.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing about our areas of the Lord's vineyard.

Thank you .