On Thursday, December 15, 2011, Bishop Clemens received (together with staff from our Dicastery) the bishops from the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) in Rome for their ad limina visit. CEPAC is made up of the diocese located in the many scattered islands in the Pacific (Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Marianas, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau Republic of New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Samoa Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna). Despite of the great distances and differences of language and cultures that separate the churches in Oceania, from what the bishops told us, they are united by similar challenges and problems. All noted the important contribution of the laity which dates back to the very roots of faith in Oceania, as were initiated into the faith and baptized by the lay faithful, especially through the work of lay catechists. This collaboration, in part necessitated by the scarcity of priests, stems from a growing awareness of the role and mission of lay people. The bishops also unanimously recognized the spiritual benefits related to the participation of the youth from their dioceses at the WYD in Sydney, the fruits of which continue to give vigor to the youth ministry of the entire continent and foster vocations. His Excellency, Bishop Clemens, offered some points that were taken from the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania, which now reaches its tenth anniversary. He focused particular attention on  the paragraphs concerning the laity, women, young people, and the movements and new communities, while emphasizing the relevance of this exhortation for today. The Council pointed out the importance of ongoing formation of the laity in order to assist them in carry out their mission while encouraging the pastors to make use of the rich sources and tools ready available for such: the Magisterium, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, through the Youcat, as well as recent teachings of Benedict XVI.