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The Cathedral Church in Suva is draped in purple fabric a colour used during the holiest period in the Catholic calendar – a period of fasting as well.
“It is a christian colour representing mourning the other time we use this purple colour is during lent but it is a solemn not so much jovial occasion it is a symbolic of sorrow of mourning and just a low key kind of solemnity as opposed to a joyous kind of colour,” said Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.
The funeral gathering will be held at Lami Parish.
The reguregu, where all the friends and extended family come to pay their respects, begin on Tuesday 8 July 2014 at 2pm.
The Vigil Mass will be held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Thursday evening 10 July 2014 at 6 pm followed by an all night Vigil.
The Resurrection Mass will be held on Friday 11 July 2014 at 10 am followed by the burial.
Archbishop Mataca will be the first ever Fijian Archbishop to be buried at the Sacred Heart Cathedral.
“For us this is a historical point where we move away from the old Bishops tomb in Cawaci in Ovalau and moving into Suva.
“It’s convenient because out there in Cawaci its hard for friends and relatives to visit the tomb.”
He will be entombed in what we are now calling a new bishop’s tomb which is a room — an extension under the Sacred Heart Cathedral,” Chong said.
“We are continuing a long tradition which goes back to early Christianity and that is to bury archbishops under the cathedral that they serve in.”
Previous bishops, Charles Joseph Nicholas and Juilen were buried in Cawaci.
The last Bishop to die, Victor Foley died in San Francisco and is buried there.
Mataca’s immediate predecessor, Archbishop George Pearce retired in 1976 and now lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Source
- The Fiji Times
- FBC
- Fijione
- Supplied: Fr Michael O’Connor
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News category: Asia Pacific.
