My Faith Journey to Holy Family Parish
Ni Bula Vinaka!! (Greetings)
Interesting questions were asked, what brought you here, Fr.? What makes you leave your beautiful home land of the Fiji Islands to be up here in the cold Grand Blanc, Michigan? I can boldly say it’s all God’s doing. If God did not Will it, I wouldn’t have been here. So Praise be to God.
It’s a journey of faith, so things were not so clear; cloud of uncertainties still linger in me, and even after Fr. Joe, our beloved parish priest, gladly gave me that window of opportunity to serve here with him. It wasn’t until I walked into Fr. Bush hall while being taken around for a parish and school tour that I came across a poster on the wall which says, “WELCOME, GOD BROUGHT YOU HERE”. I said wow, Amen! I am sure it was written for new parishioners and other visiting God’s people coming to worship at Holy Family Parish, but that statement spoke to me personally as affirmation from God. It’s like God telling me, you are exactly where you should be.
On December 9th, 2020, I celebrated my twenty years of priesthood. Wow, times have really flown by like the wind. I attended one of the major seminaries in the South Pacific, the Pacific Regional Seminary located in Suva, Fiji Islands. I graduated in the year 2000 as a Marist religious priest. I belong to the order of the Society of Mary. So as a missionary, my first mission as a young priest was at a remote island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea for three years. It was kind of a “sweet and sour” experience. Sweet in a sense that it was my first experience as a priest, the excitement and joy of meeting new people, learning new cultures, new language and being there as an ambassador of God and Mary to serve God’s people. It was sour in a sense that I felt ill equipped to deal with all kinds of problems of the people, who had just come out of a civil war that lasted ten years. All structures and aspects of society, culture and faith were gravely affected. I was there in the time of rehabilitation and rebuilding. It was tough, like baptism by fire and I almost gave up on my priesthood, but with God’s help I endured. The takeaway from that experience was “no matter how tough and rough life and situations throw at us, never give up because God never gives up on us.”
In 2004 I was blessed to have been accepted and enrolled in a graduate program at Loyola College, in Columbia, Maryland. It was like a leap of faith, from the thick bush in the remote islands to a humongous bright city. Wow, talking about culture shock!! But, anyway I survived. I thank God and the Society of Mary for the wonderful opportunity and the education I acquired. I graduated with MS in Pastoral Counseling after three years. Whilst studying at Loyola I was residing at a rectory at St. Rita’s parish in Dundalk, MD. I had the privilege to connect with parishioners and formed good and lasting friendship for years with some of them. I still treasure those relationships in my heart. It was that wonderful and joyful experience at St. Rita’s that kept my hopes alive that one day I will return to mission there.
Like the saying goes, every good thing comes to an end. I had to return to my home land of Fiji after my studies. I was appointed to our Marist formation house for two years, forming our young men for the vocation of religious priests. Then I was appointed to the Pacific Regional Seminary where I graduated with my Bachelor of Divinity, to teach in the area of human development and psychology. It was exciting and a privilege journeying with young men and helping form them to become the best versions of themselves as future anointed servants of God and the Church. In the middle of my tenth year, I felt I had run dry and I needed a break and some forms of spiritual renewal and discernment as to where God is leading me.
I was blessed to have been given an opportunity to attend a four-month sabbatical course at East-Asian Pastoral Institute in Quezon City, Philippines. It was exactly what I needed. In a nutshell, it was like a “transfiguration experience.” I felt renewed and transformed which reignited the fire of the Holy Spirit bestowed in me on my ordination day to go out to all the world and preach the Gospel. It was there that I had my affirmation that it was God’s will to continue my mission here in the United States.
Why Michigan? Why not??? Hahaha. It is because I have a fellow countryman who is also priest Fr. Kusitino Cobona, who served here at Holy Family a few years ago and is now the parish priest of St. James and Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian at Mason. As the saying goes, “everything happens for a reason” and I believe Fr. Kusi was there for a reason – to make my connection to our Bishop Earl Boyea, to the Diocese of Lansing, to Fr Joe and to some of the beautiful families of Holy Family.
Despite the fact that I almost froze to death in my room on my first night at the rectory due to some mechanical issues, to me that was external. The warmth and welcoming reception of Fr Joe, Fr Bill, the staff members at the parish office, school community and all you dear people of God made me feel very much at home. Jesus implies what matters most is not the external, but internal, yes your warmth, love and true Holy Family spirit supersedes the snow and cold environment of Grand Blanc! I was overwhelmed with your love internally! Praise God!
To conclude, I’d like to be candid. Out of my twenty years of priesthood I have never felt so much appreciation in my life and service as a priest than in my short experience with you all. It’s astounding and I thank you for the encouragement and your continuous support. I left my family and warm homeland behind and now God has amazingly graced me with many new families and a new home where I can happily serve you as God’s humble servant.
I Wish you and your families a prayerful and fruitful Lenten season!!
Vinaka Vakalevu (Thank you so much)
Fr. Leronio Vodivodi