In late February Mary-Clare Holland OP (Council Member) , Anne Walker (National Executive Director) and myself met with representatives of the five other conferences of Oceania at the SVD Retreat Centre in Madang, Papua New Guinea. As far as we are aware this was the first such meeting between the leaders of the conferences of Oceania. The other five conferences are the separate conferences for women and men religious (LWR and LMR) in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, the Federation of Religious in PNG/SI, the Conference of Major Superiors in the Pacific Islands (CMSPI) and the Conference of Leaders in Aotearoa/New Zealand (CLANZ).

Though brief in time , the meeting was a valuable opportunity to come to know each other. Ongoing collaboration was affirmed strongly and this recommendation is being taken back to the executives of the respective conferences.

Following that meeting all of us who were visitors stayed on for part of the Annual Assembly of the Federation of PNG/SI. The learning from each other was mutual. For our part CRA was responsible for some retreat input on the first day as well as joining with the other conferences in sharing something of our respective stories with our sisters and brothers gathered for the PNG/SI conference.

Beyond the meetings and discussions what was deeply significant were the quality of the relationships strengthened by our being together. For our part we were the recipients of great kindness from our hosts and a sense that in being with our nearest neighbours we were among friends.

Fr Peter Jones OSA,

President, Catholic Religious Australia.