This took place at the mass of installation in which Bishop Brown officially handed the symbols of leadership to his successor, Bishop Kolio Etuale Tumanuvao.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean gave Tuala-uta Representative Larry Sanitoa the honour of presenting the resolution to Bishop Brown.

The retiring bishop brought laughter when he said most of the Fono resolutions he's read or are presented in the Cathedral are for those who have passed away. He felt special that the Fono has seen it fit to honour him with a resolution while he was alive.

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Father Kolio Etuale (49) is the Chancellor and Parish Priest of Holy Family Parish Tafuna. He will initially be the Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese.

When Bishop Peter H Brown retires, Etuale will become bishop of the Diocese.

Kolio Etuale

The bishop-elect was educated by the Marist Brothers and graduated with a BA in Philosophy and Master of Divinity from Mt Angel Seminary. He was ordained priest in American Samoa in 2003.

Etuale is currently completing his Doctorate in Pastoral Ministry. He has worked extensively in parishes and schools throughout the Diocese for 19 years, also serving on different Diocesan organisations.

His service has seen him working in the parishes of Leone, Iliili, Futiga and Asili. He has also held numerous leadership positions including Director of Religious Vocations.

Etuale was appointed the Chancellor of the Diocese in 2021.

He will be consecrated on 4 November, the Feast of St Charles Borromeo.

Etuale is the son of Tumanuvao Etuale Felise of Lotofaga, Samoa and Maniva Palala (deceased) of Moata'a, Samoa.

His adopted parents in American Samoa are Tumanuvao Kelekolio Tumanuvao and Monika Etuale of Iliili.

Source

• Vatican Press
• Supplied

American Samoa Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale hasn't been ready to take that step.

"We're still reviewing the decision to determine its applicability to American Samoa, and I have no specific comments at this time," he said.

Asked if same-sex marriage is legal in the territory, Ale said, "I don't know. We're reviewing the law."

• "It should be unquestioned," said Rose Cuison Villazor, a professor at University of California, Davis' law school and an expert on territorial law. "The Supreme Court's decision was pretty strong."
• For gay marriage to be recognized in American Samoa, there needs to be a voluntary decision or litigation, said Chimene Keitner, an expert on territorial status issues at University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
• U.S. territories have some self-governance rights. The right to marry, however, isn't a question of self-governance, said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, staff attorney for national gay rights group Lambda Legal. "This is a question of individual right, individual liberty," he said.

Christian churches with conservative social views dominate in American Samoa, home to about 50,000.

The government's motto is "Samoa, Let God Be First."

The territory has a tradition of embracing faafafine - males who are raised as females and take on feminine traits.

There are many faafafine who aren't supportive of gay marriage out of "respect for our Samoan culture and religious beliefs," said well-known faafafine Princess Auvaa.

Auvaa said she wants gay marriage to be legal in American Samoa. If it's determined that it is, she said, "I would be the first person to apply for a marriage license - if I had a boyfriend who would agree to marriage."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: aleteia.org

In a letter to the Fono (legislative Assembly) leaders Lemanu said, "We found that there have been past incidents of human trafficking in American Samoa."

"Victims of human trafficking are not limited to a certain age, gender, ethnicity or nationality or isolated to certain villages."

He added, "Human trafficking has gone on too long. It is time that American Samoa comes together and moves forward in eliminating modern slavery from our islands."

There are four principles contained in the bill:

• Prevention through public awareness, education, outreach and professional training to identify, report and respond to incidents of human trafficking
• Protection for victims of human trafficking
• Prosecution to ensure that traffickers are brought to justice and their sentences reflect the severity of the inhuman treatment of others
• Partnership with villages, agencies, government and organisations that fight human trafficking.

Source

• Samoa News
• Image: globallabourrights.org

His body will arrive in the territory 9 a.m. Monday and will be taken directly to the Fatuoaiga Hall for wake services. His Mass of Resurrection will follow later in the morning at the Holy Family Cathedral, Fatuoaiga where he served for more than 20 years in the music and youth ministries. Harry will be laid to rest at his home in Iliiili following his Requiem Mass.

Harry Miller, 59, died Wednesday in New Zealand. He was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer after a near black out while playing for the opening of Catholic Education Week at the Holy Family Cathedral on January 27.

He had been undergoing treatment in Auckland since early February.

He is survived by his wife Monica, six children: Leon, Harry Jr, Tutoatasi, William, Alfred and Faiane and 15 grandchildren. Samoa News

Bishop elect Brown is a member Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists - C.Ss.R).

After being professed as a Redemptorist in 1979 Fr Peter's first appointment was to their newly established mission in Samoa. In the community with him were fellow Redemptorists Fr (later bishop) Patrick Hurley, and Fr. Brian Consedine.

After five years in Samoa Peter sought ordination to the priesthood and took up studies at the Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne, Australia. In 1981 he was ordained in Greymouth, New Zealand, by Bishop Brian Ashby, and graduated from YTU the following year.

He then returned to Samoa as parish priest of Our Lady of the Sea church in Safotu Savaii where he served till the Redemptorists reluctantly withdrew in 1987 because of limited numbers.

When Fr Peter returned to New Zealand from Samoa in 1987, Bishop Denis Browne appointed him chaplain to the 27 Samoan communities that were part of the wider Samoan Catholic Community spread across Auckland. He held that position for twelve years before being appointed parish priest of St. Peter Chanel in Clover Park, South Auckland.

For the period 2005-09 Fr. Peter was coordinator of the Redemptorist Region of Asia-Oceania during which time he participated in the restructuring of the worldwide Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer into five Conferences (regions). As that structure took shape he became the coordinator of the sub Conference of South East Asia - Oceania. At the time of his appointment as bishop he was a member of the Redemptorist's Asia-Oceania Council.

At the time of his appointment, Fr. Peter, 66, was serving as the Redemptorist leader in the Aotearoa New Zealand region, a role he has held for many years.

Bishop John Quinn Weitzel, the first Bishop of Samoa Pago Pago, announced that he is retiring at last Friday morning's mass at Fatuoaiga and at the same time made known Fr Peter's appointment as his replacement.

Bishop Quinn was ordained a Catholic priest in 1955 and in 1986 was ordained a Catholic bishop after being appointed by the late Pope John Paul II to head the Diocese of Samoa Pago Pago. Prior to moving to the territory, he served in Samoa as a Catholic priest.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bishop Quinn celebrated his 85h birthday on May 10th this year and it was the same day that he was presented the Distinguished Citizens Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council of the American Samoa District.

Source

• CSSR.org.nz
• Samoa News
• Talanei.com
• Image: Talanei.com