BROTHER HILARION COWAN

James Cowan was born in Wairoa, near Napier. His years in the Novitiate at Claremont coincided with the Second World War.

He came to Fiji in 1975 as a mature religious, with fifteen years of experience as a community leader, plus the Second Novitiate.

He had been a good primary school teacher in New Zealand and he soon learned to tackle the very different classroom atmosphere of Fiji. After a year at Vatuwaqa Marist Primary he joined the team in the new venture at Napuka Junior Secondary School. Napuka was a very different challenge, being a boarding school and all Fijian (plus some Banaban children from the nearby island of Rabe) He had not been slow to take on the study of the Fijian language and was soon at home amongst the rural people of Tunuloa.

He spent a total of five years at Napuka, with a one year break at Suva St. He was a great support to all the Brothers who came to Napuka during his time there.

When he left Napuka he took up the leadership of the Suva St community for a ten-year period. By that time the school leadership had been separated from that of the community, so his task was somewhat easier. His "reign" was renowned for its hospitality offered with a certain missionary frugality.

In his later years he had to be careful of his diet to prevent incipient diabetes from weakening his health. He liked to ride his bicycle and must have saved a lot of bus fares in his time, while he kept himself fit.

Hilarion was always a man of the people, at home with everyone and no respecter of status. His years as community leader are a tribute to his popularity in that role. It may not be known to all that the community members are consulted before a Brother is re-appointed as their leader.