Sipiliano Fakaosi

Place

I was born on the sixteenth of September 1971, in an isolated island called Tafahi in the Kingdom of Tonga. Tafahi is located 240km north of Vava'u Island and approximately 500km or more than to the north of Nuku'alofa. Despite this isolated environment or maybe because of it, I have always had a great sense and love of nature. I think this has benefited me in my spirituality and also helped me with physical discipline (something I see as a key virtue if you want to be a priest).

My secret game

Through the deep silence and stillness of my isolated environment, God created in me a love for Jesus and Mary from my earliest days. I still question why and how this relationship formed within me in this stage of my life. My game was, watching the picture of Jesus and Mary in their faces. Every time I looked into their eyes, they looked deeply into my eyes and their eyes would never leave me wherever I watched from. I went and watched them from outside of our house through small holes on the wall. Their eyes still fix on me and I wonder why they are looking at me like that. What do they want from me? Perhaps, today I am still watching their eyes silently and listening to the great joy of their presence.

Turning point

In 1984 at Tafahi Primary School, it was practice that every student must choose his/her goal for the future in the presence of their parents and teachers. I wrote down in my file teacher and priest. One of a great figures that appealed to me during that time was Fr Kevin Bourke SM, my parish priest. His simple life, generosity, kindness, friendly, humility and love for the people always drew my attention. However, life went on and I found myself with a good job, which I enjoyed. My vocation then seemed to slip into the shadows, but at the back of my mind it remained. I always felt a bit guilty as I continued to hear God's call in my life, but kept trying to push it away. However the harder I tried to push it away the more it kept on coming back. In 2001, my call was flowing like a river in my heart and there was no space for escape. It was so demanding that I simply had to respond- YES.

Life journey

I find there is always budding life in a place of new beginning. I grew up at Tafahi in 1971 to 1985. I came to Nuku'alofa in 1986 until 2001 and to Marist College Suva 2002 to 2003. In 2004 I went for my novitiate and after the novitiate (2005), I went back again to Marist College Suva to continue my study as my forth year in the house of formation. In 2006, I was transferred from Marist College Suva to Marist Seminary, Auckland New Zealand. What a big change that has challenged me with a rich experience. I experience joy and sadness in multi-cultural community living and the cultural shock of a new environment. The pros and cons of the melting pot continues to help me to develop in my vocation.