By Fr. Nilo Resco MSP
I am an MSP missionary in the Solomon Islands, a country of islands that lies in the southwestern part of the Pacific region. To get from one island to another, one has to brave the sea by boat or dinghy. Solomon Islands is inhabited by people called Melanesians. They used to be called “natives” before but the Legislative Assembly changed this to Islanders in 1974, as the word “natives” had colonial and racist overtones.
Fr. Alvin Parantar, msp
I arrived in the Solomon Islands on February 25, 1998 and since then I have been working in Tangarare Parish in Guadalcanal. My first program was to visit all the 28 villages that belong to the parish. One day, I went to the first village by canoe. As we approached the seashore, it appeared there was nobody around in the village. There was no movement whatsoever. A strange feeling crept over me. I found the situation very odd for I expected the people to welcome me on my first visit.
By: Fr. Eduard Orilla, MSP
“Where on earth are the Solomon Islands?” Such a reaction is the usual follow up inquiry of friends upon hearing and knowing about Solomon Islands. But in order not to give you any additional school or home work, dear readers, Solomon Islands are located somewhere in the Central Pacific Island below Papua New Guinea and Bougainville. There are 900 islands comprising the Solomons and are full of exceedingly beautiful lagoons, white and silver beaches, undenuded forest, coral reefs and clear see water. Some of the islands are volcanic, however.
