News & Events

On Tuesday evening the 7th of July, ‘Team Kiribati’ departed for the remote village of Abaokoro in the Republic of Kiribati. With an enormous amount of luggage including; tents, computers, curriculum resources, sporting goods and medical supplies safely stowed underneath the plane our amazing journey began. Actually the journey (or the planning for the journey) began about two years ago… 

In May 2015 as part of the 125 years celebrations of the Good Sams in the diocese, Bishop Gregory O’Kelly SJ, Catholic Education in the Diocese of Port Pirie and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict established a partnership agreement enabling staff from our diocesan schools to engage in a ‘two-way’ outreach experience in Kiribati.

During second semester 2015 an invitation was extended for a staff member from each school across the Diocese of Port Pirie to participate in the first of our Social Justice Outreach Experiences to the village of Abaokoro in the Republic of Kiribati (pronounced Kir-ee-bas) in July 2016. 

POST SCRIPT
Having recently returned from the inaugural ‘Outreach Experience’, it would be true to say that it was an outstanding success and on so many levels. Our Kiribati Commitment Program will continue to evolve over the coming years. There will be future and ongoing opportunities for staff from across our diocesan schools to travel and witness this amazing Pacific country and its people and there will be opportunities for the I-Kiribati Good Samaritan Sisters to visit our diocese and schools. Our partnership is two-ways (both ways), as we continue to cultivate and grow our cross-cultural learnings, friendships and understandings.

Brenda Keenan
Director
Catholic Education - Port Pirie Diocese