The recent First Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council spoke about the mission of the Church, ministry to those on the peripheries, as well as role of the Christian family, how we can better integrate our first nations people, and the work of women.
Located some 1500km west of Perth, Christmas Island is pastorally cared for by the Archdiocese of Perth and has a population of nearly 1500 people, with some eight per cent being Catholic.
Susan DeCruz has lived on Christmas Island, together with her husband Ron, for the past 44 years and recently spoke to The Record Editor Jamie O’Brien about her life and faith.
What led you to living on Christmas Island? I had recently returned Penang, Malaysia after some time in the UK and was working in a small hospital when my sister in Perth sent me an article for nursing positions in Christmas Island. I went for an interview for the nursing position and was immediately accepted, which was a surprise. I worked in the CI Hospital for seven years and I now work with the local government, the Shire of Christmas Island.
Tell us about what life is like on the Island, the people, the culture? Life on Christmas Island is pretty quiet but really it’s how you see and live life on the island. I find life on the island pretty “full on” as I am quite busy with work, home routines and church activities. I love it here as it’s peaceful and safe and it’s really a great place to raise children.
People here are friendly and most of them are from Malaysia or Singapore but a lot of them have moved to the mainland because of their children’s education. We converse in each other’s language especially with the older generations but English is mostly spoken by everyone. I notice we have more Caucasians coming here to live now.
The culture is a rich mix. We celebrate Chinese, Malay and Christian festivals every year with lots of smaller festivals celebrated in between.
Ron is my husband and he works with the Shire of Christmas Island as a Health Officer. He came here a few months earlier than me and started work as a labourer in the Marine. He slowly worked his way up and moved up in the mining industry until the mine closed. He then had a job with the Shire initially as a Fire Officer. As time went on, positions were changed and he is now the Health Officer.
I have two daughters – Rebecca and Lorraine. Rebecca moved to Perth when she was 15 years old to attend Year 11 and 12 and University in Perth. We were really distressed at that time as she was so young to be left on her own. Luckily my older sister agreed to look after her. She is now married with three children and I now have three teenage grandchildren.
Lorraine was blessed as by the time she finished Year 10, the Island had set up Years 11 and 12, so she finished Years 11 and 12 here and left for University after that. She finished University and came back to the Island and she is now working in the school as an IT Officer and living with us.
What does the Church and faith mean to you?
I believe God works in mysterious ways and I guess what I do now is proof of that. When I was young, I kind of did not believe in going to Church, even though my Mum would take us when we were younger. When I came to the island, a visiting priest came to see me, but I was still non-practising and avoided going to services then. I think I started going to services after our eldest daughter was born. There was no Church building then and we moved from place to place whenever a priest visited the island. I love our faith community, we get on well together.
I was baptised in Sungei Patani, a little town in Malaysia where I was born.
Sacraments like Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation are celebrated by the priest whenever they come to the island.
Can you please tell me about the Catholic faith community on Christmas Island?
Our Catholic faith community is a small and close-knit community. We come together every Sunday to celebrate a Communion Service. After the service we normally have a chat about anything and everything. A few of us are involved in the care and maintenance and also the administrative work of the Church. I am also the Special Eucharistic Minister.
There have been some 46 priests who have visited the island from 1979 until now.