The process started with the visit of the Rector Major to the province (May 2015) and continued with a lot of consultation throughout the whole Australia–Pacific province over the past 12 months.
At present the Delegation comprises two communities in Samoa (Alafua in Upolu Island and Saleleloga in Savaii Island), one community in the Fiji Islands (Suva) and two centres in New Zealand, at Massey and Avondale, both in Auckland.
There is a variety of expression of the Salesian Charism in five parishes (3 in Samoa, 2 in New Zealand), two technical schools (Alafua and Saleleloga in Samoa), two parochial primary schools in Auckland, four formation settings (Aspirantate, Pre-novitiate, Novitiate and Post-novitiate in Alafua and Suva) and an incoming Parish and Youth Centre in the Fiji Islands. Salesian Family groups like the Salesian Cooperators and Past Pupils are slowly growing.
At present there are about 30 Salesians residing in these three countries, out of a total of 96 confreres in the AUL province. There is a variety of nationalities among the confreres – they come from Samoa, Australia, Fiji, Tonga, India, Myanmar and Vietnam. At the moment there are no novices, but there is a fine group of 6 or 7 pre-novices in Samoa preparing for next year, 2017. And after a long time, there are also two aspirants of Fiji origin at the Suva community.
The establishment of the new Delegation, which comes just a few months after the establishment of the Vice-Province of Papua New Guinea-Solomon Islands (PGS), testifies to the spread and consolidation of the Salesian charism in the Pacific region. it aims to promote the overall growth of the Salesian presence in the three countries and it should also help to improve the coordination and animation of the consecrated life and the apostolic mission.
