Publications – Where’s Fran?

Yap, New Home of the MicSem Library

Yap. That mysterious state, home to legendary masters of magic and artisans of spells, known for its people who keep to themselves, a population divided between the Yapese and those of the surrounding atolls, who speak completely different languages and observe other customs.

On May 1st, a few dozen of us gathered at Yap Catholic High School to attend the formal opening of the new Micronesian Seminar library. The library, once the pride and joy of the institution after which it is named, contains not just paper documents like books and articles, but a remarkable collection of images (photos and videos) that date back to the 19th century. As a bonus, the library also boasts a collection of music that numbers 20,000 pieces—everything from ancient chants and dance music to modern love songs—all in island languages. You’ll have to forgive me for beating my chest about a library that I regard as the best on Micronesia, anywhere in the world.

The birthday party for the 25^th anniversary is over. It was celebrated on Pohnpei for nearly the full week after Easter. Photos have been posted, good wishes exchanged, and the convocation and gala dinner are a happy memory now. All that remains now is to move forward step by step to achieve the dreams that were shared at the birthday celebration.

In the 1960s everything seemed possible. Want to grow a major tourist industry for a small island nation? No problem.

Continental Airlines had just entered the region, bringing jets and the promise of a strong marketing campaign. ?Feel the warmth of Paradise? was the slogan on the posters that were beginning to appear in Asian and American cities.? Within a few years, Continental built its own hotels in Palau, Chuuk, and Saipan.

People sometimes think that religious things come easy to those of us who are priests and sisters. But the truth is that we have to learn how to pray. People may think that prayer, which can be so boring and dry for them, is a garden of delights for the ?pros??those whose name is prefixed by the title Father or Sister. But even those of us who have been trying to pray for many years would never claim this.

At a Christmas party thrown by the archdiocese on December 30, I was surprised when a number of people approached me holding copies of a booklet that had just been published and asked for my signature. It seems that the pastors and the heads of schools had received wrapped copies of the book at the party. For me the luncheon quickly turned into a book signing event.

Giff Johnson?s latest work is a call to serious planning and more. The author summons leaders to recognize that life has changed in the Marshalls and the status quo is the road to disaster. There was a time when this might not have been true?when people who wanted to kick back and live a simple island life could quietly opt out of school and retire to the family land to provide for themselves as their ancestors had done for generations in an island society that offered the resources, physical and social, to support its population.

The island team was in Washington the week of January 13^th to do a presentation at the Department of Interior on the performance of the Micronesian economies over the past ten years (2003-2013). This marks the half-way point of the new Compact funding period, so it was a chance to find out how well the island nations are doing. Read More

Another New Book

The Caroline Islands: History of the Diocese.? The book was intended to celebrate the centennial of the Catholic Church in Chuuk, the 25^th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Bishop Amando, and the 125^th anniversary of the founding of the church in the Carolines. The book is just what the title says it is?a history of the Catholic Church in the Carolines. The book contains many historical photos, some of them the same ones found in my old volume, The Catholic Church in Micronesia.? But this new book is much more elegantly produced: it?s in full color and it features a page or two on each of the parishes in the diocese. Read More

Category - Publications

Yap, New Home of the MicSem Library

Happy Birthday to FSM?s National College

Tourism’s Take-Off in Micronesia

Learning to Pray

The Holiday Book Signing

Idyllic No More (by Giff Johnson)

The Band of Brothers Hits DC

Another New Book