The General Councillor Brother Rudolf Knopp performed the General Canonical Visitation to the Oceania Province from 12 September to 14 October 2016 (http://www.oh.org.au). The Brothers of the Province are present in three different countries: Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. In 2007 the centres and services of the Hospitaller Order in Australia and New Zealand joined the “St John of God Health Care” health care and welfare Catholic organisation (http://www.sjog.org.au) comprising centres and services of different Religious Congregations.

Brother Jesús Etayo, the Prior General, General Councillor Brother Pascal Ahodegnon and the Director of the Missions and International Cooperation Office Brother Moisés Martín flew out from Rome for the closure of the Visitation, which was held on 9-14 October 2016 at Madang in Papua New Guinea,. Madang was not chosen for the closure of the visitation by chance, but, as everyone knows, Madang has been chosen for the Formation Centre for which the General Curia has been supporting the 2016 fundraising campaign (http://www.ohsjd.org/resource/A3BR-Ing.pdf).

Most of the Australian and New Zealand Brothers live in small communities or in care homes in view of their advanced years. Virtually all the Brothers work as volunteers, health permitting, in parishes and social organisations. This enables them to live Hospitality even in their later years.

For years now, the Oceania Province has been playing a key role in developing the Asia-Pacific Region, in terms of both substance and structure, and is playing a front-line role in equipping the Region with commonly shared centres for initial formation  (Postulancy and Novitiate) located in the Philippines.

The Brothers of Saint John of God reached Papua New Guinea in 1971. Today, the Order has two Communities in the country, one at Madang and the other at Aitape. At the present time, the Order is preparing to establish a formation centre at Madang to offer social services in the field of mental health. Papua New Guinea is not an easy mission land. In recent years, several Congregations have pulled out of the country. This makes the commitment of the Australian and the local Brothers all the more praiseworthy.

At the closure of the Visitation at Madang, the Prior General emphasised that the first stages of Formation in the Order are of crucial importance and therefore deserve the closest attention possible by all concerned. He emphasised the great importance of the Asia-Pacific Region common formation centre in the Philippines.

The Visitor, Brother Rudolf Knopp, expressed his appreciation in his final address for the considerable goodwill demonstrated by the Brothers of Papua New Guinea to learn from the lessons of the past, which they have clearly demonstrated in the new community life and spirituality project which the Brothers have designed.