Letter of the Superior General to the Brothers and lay people from Vanuatu and Solomon Islands
Rome, 23rd April 2020
Dear Marists of Champagnat,
Receive my warm greetings and Easter blessings from the General House in Rome.
The members of the General Council and I have received word from the District Leader of the District of Melanesia, Brother Jean Marie Batick, of the various challenges you are facing during this time, particularly following Cyclone Harold in Vanuatu. The cyclone has caused the vast destruction of homes and livelihoods on the Islands of Santo, Pentecost, Ambrym, and Malekula. Many homes which remain standing are beyond repair, and most of the local gardens, which provide food, have been destroyed. The physical damage to property and the loss of life has been shocking. The tragic deaths of Mr. Abraham Hauasi’s wife, three of his sons, and his brother, Godfrey, and so many others in the Solomon Islands have shaken us to the core.
Added to this humanitarian crisis is the global threat of the Covid-19 pandemic which has created complications in receiving aid and aid workers from New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand and China. The challenges seem at times overwhelming; they challenge us to see God amid all the fear, anxiety, and death that has gripped us. And yet, God is with us as we care for each other.
Please know that we are thinking of you and your families, as well as our students and their families. We are holding you close during these difficult times. We here in Rome are with you in spirit and have remembered you in our community prayer and liturgy. We hope and pray that the resources needed to be rebuild the lives shattered by these events will come quickly and that you can build a future of hope. We will continue to be in touch with Bro. Jean Marie about how things evolve.
Have courage, Marists of Champagnat! With so many frightening situations constantly popping up in our lives, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that during this Easter season we hear Jesus telling us, “Do not be afraid! I am with you!”. Like Jesus, Mary, Our Good Mother, is close to each one of us when things are darkest. There are many rays of hope casting their light on our journey.
Fraternally,
Bro. Ernesto Sánchez Barba – Superior General