SJSS alumni unite for 70 years of sisterhood and achievement

Hundreds of Saint Joseph’s Secondary School (SJSS) alumni from across Fiji have joined former students returning from abroad to celebrate 70 years of sisterhood, faith and achievement, in what could become the school’s largest alumni reunion.

More than 500 former students have already registered for the week-long 70th Platinum Jubilee Celebration, with organisers expecting attendance to surpass 800 and potentially reach 1,000.

SJSS Alumni Global Fiji president Lavinia Kaumaitotoya said the celebration commemorated seven decades of achievement while strengthening the bonds shared by generations of former students.

The celebrations opened with a solemn Mass at Mount Saint Mary’s Church in Nadi, held there for the first time to accommodate the large number of overseas alumni arriving for the reunion.

Ms Kaumaitotoya said Mass traditionally provided the spiritual foundation for the five-yearly alumni reunions and remained an important part of the SJSS alumni tradition.

The celebrations opened with a solemn Mass at Mount Saint Mary’s Church in Nadi, held there for the first time to accommodate the large number of overseas alumni arriving for the reunion.

Mereleki Nai

She said the opening Mass was particularly significant because it reflected the values, faith and traditions instilled in students by the school’s founders and the Blessed nuns.

Alumni have travelled from across Fiji and different parts of the world, with many returning home after years away.

Ms Kaumaitotoya said the programme had been carefully planned to balance social activities with wellness, community service and opportunities for former students to reconnect.

“The week’s program balances social, wellness, and community service activities, not just alumni festivities.”

The programme includes morning exercise sessions, community activities and an afternoon “Spotlight” event featuring profiles of 48 distinguished women alumni leaders.

A four-month build-up to the jubilee included Masses, market days and fundraising nights aimed at generating excitement and bringing alumni together ahead of the main reunion.

Ms Kaumaitotoya said the celebration went beyond reconnecting former classmates, with the event also encouraging families to organise their own gatherings.

For alumni who have not returned to Fiji for years, the reunion provides an opportunity to reconnect with former schoolmates and extended family members.

She said the reopening of international borders and greater national stability had enabled more overseas-based alumni to make the journey home.

The strong international participation is also reflected in the involvement of overseas chapters, including the Sydney alumni chapter, which has played a role in organising the Spotlight activities.

Ms Kaumaitotoya said the values instilled by the Blessed nuns remained central to the identity of the alumni network.

The Platinum Jubilee celebrates faith, friendship, achievement and sisterhood while giving generations of SJSS women an opportunity to reconnect with their roots and strengthen ties with their families and communities.

SJSS alumni reunions are traditionally held every five years and begin with Mass, reinforcing the spiritual and communal foundations of the alumni network.