Bishop of Gizo: Bishop Luciano Capelli sdb

The Diocese of Gizo had made the decision in 1997 to take up the Project of Diocesan Renewal / Evangelization, initially in preparation for the Great Jubilee, but then saw the need to continue an on-going journey of faith. Based on a spirituality of relationships, but also including renewal of structures towards all-inclusive participation and co-responsibility, it is a process whereby the diocese puts itself in a permanent state of evangelizing everyone and everything.

Regular Community retreats, conducted by small teams of pastoral workers in the villages, have been a special feature of the pastoral action of evangelizing until now. Even people who are not Catholic have felt free to join it the faith sharing and personal and community prayer in the villages.

Over the next few years the diocese is planning to focus on the theme of solidarity. It means walking together side by side and it describes in one word: 'in a good way all the indebtedness we have to one another for life itself'. In hope and in a spirit of service the pastoral workers decided to continue creating the conditions for all to walk a journey of holiness so that as local church "the body builds itself up in love". Ephesians 4:16. Solidarity is obviously a value that can help all Solomon Islanders come to a deeper sense of their own national identity as a united people.

Part of its renewal is updating and constantly upgrading personnel - very important in our modern, IT world. Hence, in collaboration with the Sydney Catholic Education Office, the Diocese of Gizo has set up its 'Education Resource Centre'. The centre - in the process of completion - is to provide a clean, quiet and airy space for teachers and animators to attend Seminars and Workshops. Part of the plan yet to be realized - is also a well equipped computer room with LAN connections designed to allow the teachers and animators, become computer literate and have access to the internet and assorted other IT resources.

The Diocese of Gizo, thus joins the thousands of people in Solomon Islands, as it looks forward to growth and renewal. As it builds itself up, it definitely contributes to the building up the people and thus enhancing the Unity and Peace of Solomon Islands.