Australian Salesian Bulletin

The FMA community in Honiara, Solomon Islands, celebrated the Feast of St Maria Mazzarello in a special way this year with the blessing and opening of the Laura Vicuna Hostel for young women.

The Sisters began their work in 2007 at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Henderson. They came to work with the young women who had begun attending the College to learn life skills and home economics. It was clear from the beginning that these young women needed safe accommodation to be able to attend Don Bosco College. Many of them come from other islands or distant villages and live with relatives or others from their villages. They are often the subject of domestic violence and used as domestic help rather than being able to study. The cost of food and bus fares to get to school is often prohibitive.

 Soon after building their own house to live, in the Sisters dreamed and planned for a hostel for the young women, most of whom in their twenties. The support of the FMA South Pacific Province in fundraising, some generous benefactors and the many sacrifices of the sisters have enabled this dream to become a reality on the Feast of Maria Mazzarello, foundress with Don Bosco of the Salesian Sisters.

The Henderson community welcomed Sr Kathleen Taylor, General Councilor, and Sr Margaret Bentley, Provincial, to the island the day before the opening. On the morning of the Feast, the Sisters celebrated morning Eucharist with the entire College community as well as other religious, friends and families. Groups of students in national costumes danced and sang the entrance procession, the procession of the Word and the offertory procession. Fr Panjab SDB celebrated the Mass and preached the homily, encouraging everyone to get to know the life of Maria Mazzarello better and follow her example of loving care for others in great humility.  Following the Mass, the group processed across the road for a short ceremony of welcome and blessing.

Sr Margaret welcomed everyone and explained that the hostel was dedicated to Laura Vicuna, a pupil and boarder of the Salesian Sisters, who found a home among the Sisters because her own home environment was not safe. Sr Margaret prayed that all the young women who came to the hostel would find a family environment that provided a safe place to live and study. She went on to announce that the motto for the Hostel would be “Joy for Today, Hope for the Future”.  The sisters aim to help educate these young women for life in the Solomon Islands, whether it be married life, working life, single or religious life.

Fr Herman Tige, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Honiara, addressed the group, commenting on how needed this work was and how timely it was to cater for an urgent need in the area. Sr Kathleen Taylor spoke of her joy in being in the Solomon Islands for the first time. She spoke highly of the beauty of the land and the openness of the people. Then the keys to the Hostel were handed over to Sr Kathleen Taylor who cut the ribbon and opened the door. Fr Marsup, the local Parish Priest, then blessed the new building. Everyone was able to admire the simple and practical design that will allow for 36 young women to live in safety, while studying or working. A short performance of song and dance by the students concluded the program, and everyone was able to enjoy refreshments together.

The hostel will begin in July when the students return from a midyear break. It will add to the apostolic work the sisters do — teaching at Don Bosco College, supporting the Parish at Red Beach with catechist and Sunday games, supporting the Catholic Teacher’s Association and the new work of coordinating Catholic Communications for the three dioceses. In three and a half years the Sisters have achieved an enormous amount of work and hope to continue for many years to come the work of Don Bosco and Maria Mazzarello in the Solomon Islands.