KATURASELE community in South Choiseul successfully commemorated 100 years since the arrival of the Adventist gospel at their shores in 1924.
In December 2024, the community held a centennial celebration to mark the significant event in the Adventist Calender.
And after months of planning, a week-long programme was organised from 17 to 21 December 2024.
The Katurasele Centenial Celebration Committee was led by Gary Puisasa as the chairman. He took the leading role in organising the committee.
He was supported by his assistant Ruben Lumukana and other members of the committee.
The Honiara-based Katurasele community also supported the programme through the leadership of Dr John Lenga Sisiolo.
The theme for the weeklong programme was ‘Destiny for Eternity.
The Guest Speaker for the entire commemoration was Pr Adrian Pitakaka.
The programme commenced with preparations on Sunday 15 and Monday 16 December.
On Tuesday 17 December, the community witnessed the arrival and welcoming of People from the surrounding communities and invited Guests of Honour by the whole community.
Chairman Puisasa said, people who attended the programme brought contributions in various forms, which were received by the food committee.
This occurred all throughout the day with much fanfare and excitement, he added.
The highlight of the programme was the arrival of people from the clans of Negobangara and Julevai from Vella.
The Negobangara and Julevai clans introduced the SDA faith to Katurasele in 1924.
They brought the faith, paddling across the sea, from Suanatali (Vella La Vella) to Vora (Choiseul), a distance of over 50 km. Vora was where the people lived when the SDA faith first came to their shores.
Later, the people moved from Vora to where Katurasele village is today.
The people of Negobangara and Julevai confirmed before the whole community that it was indeed their Kaji ( elder or forefather) that first brought the SDA faith to
Katurasele (Vora).
The people from Vella received the Adventist message from Ranoggah.
In response, Chief Ruben Lumukana acknowledged the confirmation that the people of Katurasele did received the SDA faith from the two aforementioned Kajis.
Later in the evening, Pr Pitakaka officially opened the programme during a worship session.
On Wednesday 18′ December, a special ceremony was held at Vora, where a monument was unveiled, a testament to the fact that this was indeed the place where the SDA faith first landed in 2024.
During that programme the organisers dramatised the arrival of the SDA faith at Vora where a consecration program was held at the Church.
The unveiling of the 100 years monument was done at the site of the church on Thursday 19 December and thereafter, the programme continued on with session on t-shirt printing and lavalava dying for women.
Friday 20 December was spent on Sabbath programmes. On the Sabbath, all worship programmes were led by the Centenary community.
On that day, 11 people also recommitted their lives to the Lord through water of baptism.
The program concluded on Sunday where all the guests were farewelled.
