My name is Atonio Damuni Masilekaleka from the South Sea Islands of Fiji. I was born on October 7, 1988, in Suva, Fiji. I have three older sisters, and I am the youngest and the only boy in the family. My father passed away when I was very young, and my three older sisters and I were raised by our widowed mother.

I grew up in a small settlement called Tubarua, located in the central part of the main island of Viti Levu. Our home was about a 15-minute drive from our nearby parish church, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. I remember that during my childhood, while attending Mass and watching the priest celebrate the Eucharist, the desire to become a priest first began in my heart. In that moment, I believe the first seed of vocation was planted within me.

I first attended a small parish school called Lomary Primary School and later moved to Lomary Secondary School. After graduating from high school, I joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a pre-novice candidate. The following year, I was accepted into the novitiate, but later decided to leave because I felt that I needed to explore life more deeply due to my immature understanding of life at that time.

After leaving the novitiate, I spent time joining parish youth groups, which helped me develop the way I relate to people because of the different personalities among the youth members. During that period, I also worked in various workplaces and experienced earning money to live on my own. While earning money allowed me to experience many of the pleasures I had been searching for, I still felt unsatisfied.

Thirteen years after leaving the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, I finally decided to join the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Those thirteen years felt like wandering in the desert until I finally found an oasis. On one occasion in my parish, I met Marist Palepale, a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who asked if I would be interested in joining the congregation. At first, I was reluctant because I felt unworthy. However, the following year, I joined the Congregation as a pre-novice candidate and spent that time in Tonga.

In 2025, one of the greatest moments of my life came when I was accepted as a novice of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It was also a wonderful experience to have my novitiate in the United States, known as the land of the free and the home of the brave. Life in the novitiate in Hemet helped form me well and allowed me to understand myself better, which also deepened my understanding of my novice brothers. Journeying with Fr. Semisi as my Novice Master, together with Fr. Jerry and Fr. Pat, is one of the unforgettable memories of how they guided, formed, and motivated me to become the best version of myself. Through community work, prayer, and shared meals, I gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of community life.

My first profession was a joyful moment, knowing that it was just the beginning of my journey as a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

As a post-novitiate, beginning my studies at the Pacific Regional Seminary has been a totally new experience for me. I am learning to adapt to a new environment of study while living together with the professed brothers and formators. At the same time, I am allowing myself to become more open-minded and flexible in my learning and experiences as a newly professed brother. Having the opportunity to attend Mass at St. Joseph the Worker Parish with my brothers and to assist in the ministries has been a wonderful experience.

I am very happy in my journey now as a seminarian and a newly professed brother, striving to better myself at every step along the way. Above all, I am deeply thankful to God for the gift of vocation, the gift of community, and the gift of life.

Thank you.