W. Samoa Celebrates Centenary of Catholic

One Hundred Years Of Service

W. Samoa Celebrates Centenary of Catholic Mission and Bishop Demand's Jubilee

From Our Own Correspondent

TT i—, , APIA, July 12. rnHE four days from July 3-6 were X memorable ones in the hundred years’ history of the Catholic Church in Samoa. Attended by an estimated ten thousand church adherents, the Centenary of the Catholic Mission and, at the same time, the Episcopal Silver Jubilee of His Lordship, Bishop Darnand, was cele

brated—the pomp and im pressive European church ceremony combined with the colourful procedure of a Samoan feast.

Several high church digni taries, who. had arrived by plane from overseas, had come specially for this great function, amongst them, the Right Rev. Archbishop O’Shea, of Wellington, New Zealand, who, 25 years be fore, had come to Samoa to consecrate Bishop Darnand as Bishop of Samoa; Bishop Foley from Fiji; Bishop Pon cet from Wallis Island, and the Rev. Fr. Conneley, Colonel - Chaplain, from Wellington.

The celebrations began on July 3 at the Seat of the Catholic Mission at Moamoa with a Pontifical High Mass and Te Deum. This was followed by a distribution of food to the Samoan gather ing and a Centenary and Jubilee dinner.

During the afternoon there was a grand procession of Catholic school children, followed by songs and native dances and the consecration of schools.

In the evening, cantata and tableaux commemorating

’scenes of the life and martyrdom of Blessed Peter Chanel were presented on the Moamoa Malae by a joint choir of

land™ 10 " 8 ' aCCompanied * the Moamoa On July 4, the actual anniversary of the founding of the Mission, the celebra tions took place in Apia. Pontifical High Mass was held in the morning; the after noon was given over to the children and at night a reception and dinner ’were given by the European Parish

On July 5, the celebrations were at the Cathedral seat of Leauvaa, where High Mass was followed, in Samoan tradition, by a Royal Kava ceremony, at which the Bishops met the Samoan Chiefs.

A Taumafataga (Samoan Dinner) fol lowed and, in the afternoon, songs and dances.

In the evening, tableaux and songs were performed by a joint choir of 500 voices, representing the spirit and pro gress of the work of the Catholic Church in Samoa.

The celebrations closed on July 6 with a distribution of food by the Leauvaa district, by native dances by the pupils of the schools, and by gift offerings (Taalolo) by the various districts of Samoa.

Reception and Dinner

rE reception and dinner given by the members of the European congre gation of the Cathedral of Mary Immaculate, Apia, in commemoration of the Centenary of the Catholic Mission in Samoa? and in honour of the Episcopal Silver Jubilee of His Lordship the Most Rev. Joseph Darnand, on July 4, at the Catholic Club, was one of the best organised functions of this kind ever held in Samoa.

Representatives of all sections of the European community, including the Administrator, Mr. A. C. Turnbull, mem bers of all denominations and Samoan leaders joined the Catholic congregation

Bishop Darnand, with the Administrator of Western Samoa, Mr. A. C. Turnbull, and Bishop Poncet, of Wallis Island, in front of the Cathedral at Leauvaa during the third day of the celebrations.

to pay a sincere tribute to the great work of the Catholic Mission, and at the same time to honour Bishop Darnand on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee.

Over 250 guests sat down to the Cen tenary dinner and listened to addresses by some of the guests of honour.

The Right Rev. Archbishop O’Shea said that this great celebration surpassed, in scope and performance, anything he had seen in New Zealand. He also paid a great tribute to the loyal and devoted work of the Fathers, Brothers and Sisters of the Society of Mary in Samoa during the last century, and to the able spiritual leadership of the jubilant of the evening, His Lordship Bishop Darnand.

Other speakers included Bishop Foley, of Fiji, and the Rev. Fr. Conneley, of Wellington.

Bishop Darnand expressed his great appreciation of the good wishes tendered him and his mission.

The dinner was followed by songs and

tableaux, presented by boys and girls of the Marist Brothers’ School and St.

Mary’s Convent School, which told the

story of the Catholic Mission in, Samoa during the last century and the evange lisation of the islands of the Western Pacific by the Priests, Brothers and Sisters of the religious society known as the Society of Mary,

A GROUP OF GUESTS OF HONOUR AT THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION AT LEAUVAA.

From left to right: Mrs. Mataafa, the Hon. Mataafa, Mrs. A. C. Turnbull, Colonel-Chaplain Conneley, the Chinese Consul, Mr. C. P. Cheng, Mrs. Tamasese, the Hon. Malietoa, Mrs. Malietoa, a Samoan Chief, and the Hon. Tamasese.