Two youth groups use a special Mass to promote racial understanding in Fiji.
By Rowena Dato Cuanico

Here in Fiji, the population is comprised of native Fijians and those with Indian origins whose ancestors were brought to Fiji as slaves during colonial British rule. Much of Fiji’s troubled racial relations stems from disputes between these two ethic groups.

That’s why we Columbans promote healing and understanding between indigenous Fijians and Hindi-language-speaking Indo-Fijians. And that’s how the revival of a Catholic Indo-Fijian youth group in Suva provided a wonderful opportunity for multicultural sharing and understanding.

The youth group had decided to visit with the youth organizations of eight Suva-area parishes, including the parish youth group of St. Pius X Parish, which is made up of native Fijians. The two groups decided to meet and celebrate Mass during a Sunday in September 2005 to coincide with the native youth group’s plan to animate a Mass that Sunday.

Less than a month before the gathering, the two groups met to plan the celebration. It was during this meeting led by Columban Father Pat McCaffrey, the coordinator of the Columbans’ Hindi-speaking apostolate in Suva, that the discussion turned to the fact that the families and ancestors of the two groups had been living together for more than 150 years, yet they seemed to know little about each other.

It was then decided that the objectives of the meeting and celebration were going to be concrete and simple: to bring people together, help them get to know each other, and to celebrate the richness and uniqueness of the two major cultures and their shared faith. This was going to be our small and modest contribution toward forging racial understanding, harmony and tolerance in the country.

The group decided the liturgy surrounding the celebration would incorporate the symbols and traditions of both cultures and that there would be a fellowship at the parish hall after the Eucharist.

Choir practice in preparation for the Mass was an exciting experience. The Indo-Fijians had to learn Fijian and Rotuman hymns while the Fijians had to learn Hindi hymns. Everyone worked hard to learn how to pronounce the lyrics properly before they learned the melodies.

The youth translated and explained the meaning of the hymns so everybody could understand. During the choir practice and other meetings, the young people were encouraged to sit with their new friends rather than solely with those of their own racial group.

Sunil and Tomasi are parish youth leaders who helped organize a special Mass for racial reconciliation.

The Indo-Fijian community in the parish is very small. Yet the parish was soon visited by many Indo-Fijian young people coming for meeting and practice sessions. Fr. Pat attended only the first meeting. The youth leaders took full responsibility over the gathering, and they were equal to the task.

The day before the celebration, we had to make sure we had everything we needed: candles, diyas (Indian lamps for the aarti, a kind of a welcoming rite), flowers, props for the Gospel drama and hymn sheets. We had to prepare the hall, set up the kitchen and spread the mats.

On that September Sunday, we came together to celebrate. Many Indo-Fijians and representatives from other Catholic religious communities were in attendance. The liturgy began with a Hindi hymn and the traditional Indian welcome of the aarti. Fr. Pat, the Mass celebrant, had his hands washed and a garland was placed around his neck.
There was the Bible procession with one of the youths dressed in a traditional Fijian costume.

The Gospel was dramatized by Indo-Fijian, Fijian and Rotuman participants. There was the symbolic offering of gifts, including Indian sweets and root crops that are the staple food in many South Pacific islands. The singing was absolutely beautiful.

Fr. Pat’s fluency in both languages, Hindi and Fijian, was a great gift as he celebrated the Eucharist in both languages.

It was a celebration of faith, cultures, a new beginning and friendship.

The fellowship program that followed Mass was simple yet meaningful. True to the objectives of the celebration, the Indo-Fijian youths presented an aspect of the Fijian culture followed by Fijian youths dramatizing a cultural tradition of the Indo-Fijians. It was a fun and powerful way to drive home the message of multicultural cooperation.

The fellowship participants were then divided into small “multicultural groups.” They were asked to reflect and share on the messages from the celebration of the Eucharist and the cultural presentation. They were also asked to think and discuss how to promote racial harmony.

Learning About Each Other
The reflections were profound and sincere. Most young people admitted how little they know about each other and how small initiatives like this can help them understand each other. The participants shared how much they enjoyed practicing the hymns, the Gospel drama and the cultural presentation.

They realized that even if they speak different languages and have different traditions, they still have many things in common. They committed themselves to be instruments of racial understanding in their own small ways.

At the end of the program, Salote, the president of the parish youth group, expressed her thanks to the Hindi-speak-ing Catholic youth group for initiating this laudable initiative. In turn, the leader of the Indo-Fijian youth group, Ben Singh, expressed his group’s gratitude to the parish and to the native parish youth group for their hospitality, support and openness to the joint Eucharistic celebration and fellowship.

As we then enjoyed ourselves with cups of tea, glasses of juice, Indian sweets, cakes and sandwiches, we couldn’t help but simply savor the moment of such an enjoyable and meaningful occasion. Indeed we thank God for the amazing ways that God brings people together.

Rowena Cuanico of the Philippines has been as a lay missionary in Fiji since 2000.