Churches chairman Reverend Oka Fauolo said the ban on local people would not work because many had dual citizenship and church leaders were still worried about the negative affects of the casinos no matter what the Government said. Tenders will soon be put out for the first casinos to be built in Samoa, but local Read more
Fr Paul Donoghue recently the Provincial of the Society of Mary in Oceania was ordained Bishop of Rarotonga by Bishop Stuart O’Connell on Sunday last. The people of the Diocese joined bishops, clergy and religious from across the Pacific; friends and family from New Zealand and elsewhere to see Paul Donoghue ordained Bishop. Bishop O’Connell, Read more
More than 2000 people gathered last Friday at Solevu Village in Bua to be part of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Catholic Church in the area. The celebrations was attended by ex-scholars from Viti Levu and parts of Vanua Levu. Head of the Catholic Church His Grace Archbishop Petero Mataca prayed that different Read more
This year the Good Samaritan Sisters are celebrating 20 years of ministry in Kiribati. The first of the Good Samaritans to go there, in 1991, was Sister Veronica McCluskie. She went is response to Bishop Paul Mea’s request to the Good Samaritans for personnel to help with the education and pastoral needs of the people Read more
Last week Father Rolando Santos CM was ordained a bishop and installed as Bishop of the Alotau-Sideia diocese in PNG where he has served as formator of seminarians and as executive secretary of the Episcopal Conference of PNG and the Solomon Islands from 2000-2010. He has most recently served as the Provincial of the Lazarist Congregation’s Philippine Read more
What do Beethoven, Tupac, the Pope and the Dalai Lama have in common? This was the question posed by His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi when he opened the Samoa Conference II at the National University of Samoa (NUS) on 8 July. The Head of State, who is also Chancellor, referred to the four Read more
Overcrowding is becoming a serious problem in Kiribati and Solomon Islands and rising sea levels are also expected to lead to further climate change refugees. Australia and New Zealand have been told to expect more migration from their Pacific neighbours. Speaking to Cook Islands, Fiji, Filipino, Hong Kong, Indian, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niuean, Samoan and Read more
Last week Father Kevin Barr celebrated 50 years of priesthood by celebrating Mass with Archbishop Petero Mataca. He used the occasion to ask for forgiveness. “A few months ago I wrote a little booklet on forgiveness and in it quoted the story of a Jewish Rabbi in New York who in his final sermon in the synagogue Read more
Tonga’s first ever festival celebrating Pacific choral music was held last Thursday night in Nuku’alofa’s Centenary Church. Ten choirs from churches across Tonga performed for Guest of Honour Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho. Superb vocal skills combined with gifted musicians and masterful conducting captivated the spellbound listeners who rewarded performances with powerful applause. The evening culminated in Read more
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare must be allowed to retire gracefully from politics, and not be forced out. This is the view of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Port Moresby, following the recent announcement of the Somare family’s intention to have their father retire from politics on medical grounds. General Read more