From Jan 8 to 14, 2023, I had the privilege of leading the diocesan priest’s retreat in Tarawa, the chief island of Kiribati. It was a joyous occasion for me as nearly all of the priests in attendance were my former students, some going back thirty years. I seem to be invited to do this in Kiribati every 10 years.
The last time I was invited was in 2013. At that time, Columban Fr. Taaremon Mataueia of Rabi, with family links to Kiribati, had just been ordained and was waiting in Fiji to take up his mission appointment in Taiwan. I invited him to come with me to Kiribati and while I lead the retreat, he caught up with members of the family he had never met before.
We went by speed boat to North Tarawa, a rough journey, to the Sychar Retreat Center, named after the well of Jacob. This was where Jesus met the woman of Samaria. This had been a deserted island, a reputed place of suicide and was believed to be haunted. The Diocese owned the land and the late Bishop Elect Dr. Koru Tito had a dream of building a retreat center here. He asked the Charismatic Community of Kiribati of which he was the Chaplain to take on the project. They transformed it into a tiny city of prayer. Alas, Dr. Tito did not live either to be consecrated or to see his dream come true.
This was the first major retreat at the center. Three large halls, actually traditional Kiribati Maneabas, dominate the center. These are used for Mass, lectures and meals. Sleeping quarters are individual Kiakia or traditional sleeping houses. Each retreatant has his own. They are small, for sitting and sleeping in but each, thanks to solar power has its own source of light. The entire center is eco-friendly. It faces the beach, and the roar of the ocean provides a wonderful background. There are concrete blocks of toilets and showers.
The nearby villages showered us with food for every meal. A group of Charismatic people took care of the logistics and accompanied the retreat with their prayer. They were led by Mrs. Margarita Baara, the retired Kiribati Ambassador to the United States who had also overseen the building of Sychar.