Fr Paulo Vatunitu SVD says God’s hand has guided him all the way in his life, from a career in banking to a vocation as a missionary priest, and he’s confident God will be with be with him now as he takes up a new assignment at Daly River in the remote Northern Territory.

Paulo was born and raised in Fiji, on the island of Vanua Levu and is the second eldest of eight children. After school, he made a career as a loans officer in the banking industry.

“I started to discern my way during that time and to realise that life is much bigger than just getting a salary,” he said.

After three years with the Vincentians, Paulo left religious life for a period before joining the Society of the Divine Word.

He completed his theological study and formation in Melbourne, at the SVD’s Dorish Maru College, taking his final vows in March 2013 and being ordained to the priesthood in October that year.

Fr Paulo’s first missionary assignment was to the Philippines, where he served for six years.

“I started out doing very interesting parish work at Lacub Parish in Tineg, right up in the mountains, in the northern part of the Philippines in the Province of Abra, a stronghold area of the rebel group, the New People’s Army,” he said.

“The work was mainly administering the sacramental life for the people in the mountains. I looked after eight barrios or villages, which were a big distance apart. The nearest camp would take about two hours of walking to reach and the furthest one away took the whole day to walk there, climbing mountains and crossing rivers.

“The mountain stations of Tineg are accessible only during the dry season, from March to September. We travelled in pairs in the jeepney, the means of transport from the nearest town up to the mountains of Tineg, so that in case of emergency, one jeepney would be ready to assist in pulling the other out, with the help of all the passengers pushing and pulling. There were times we had to camp on the side of the road for the night, waiting for the next day to continue on with the journey, that would normally take the whole day.”

After some time in another parish, Fr Paulo was assigned to Urdaneta College in Urdaneta City as student chaplain.

After six years, he decided to apply to return to the Australia Province and, after a delay due to COVID travel restrictions, he will soon take up his new role at Daly River in the Northern Territory.

“I want to get to know the people and the culture and the local dialect and start building a home there with them,” he said. “I’m looking forward to administering the sacraments and just being with the people, especially with the young Aboriginal people.”

Fr Paulo said that when he looks back over his life and his vocation, he is grateful for God’s ongoing presence.

“God’s hand is guiding me all the way,” he said. “All the experiences of my life, all the people I’ve met and places I’ve been are part of my journey. I see all these different experiences as God’s way of forming me to become the priest I am now and to become a good missionary.”

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Fr Paulo Vatunitu SVD on the road to his new assignment in Daly River, NT.

BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Paulo beside the Daly River. He says God has been guiding him all the way in his missionary vocation.