Cultural ministry: Samoan chaplaincy
Mika Teofilo
The Archdiocese of Wellington’s Samoan Chaplaincy facilitates and meets the pastoral and spiritual needs of the Samoan people, enabling them to express their faith in their own language and culture.
The aim of pastoral ministry is to preserve Samoan customs, traditions and values while promoting full integration into multicultural New Zealand society. Pastoral care, formation programmes and administration of the Sacraments are provided in the Samoan language.
As lay pastoral leader, I lead the chaplaincy, supported by the chaplaincy team. This team includes the chaplaincy executive Sauni Malolo, chairperson Tauloa Fa’atau vice-chairperson Lesina Nanai, secretary and Toluma’anave Mena treasurer.
We also have the head-catechists Paulo and Nive Sava’inaea, Sunday-school leader Fiu Ioane, youth leader Sililo Scanlan, and ex-officio priest in Sacramental Ministry Fr Petelo Mauga.
The Samoan Chaplaincy provides: help for Samoan Catholics to find a parish to celebrate Mass in Samoan and/or English; support for parishes and schools with resources in the community; assistance with promoting events within the Samoan Chaplaincy; help as an interface between schools and parishes and the Samoan community; and retreats for various groups.
The chaplaincy is accountable to Cardinal John Dew, Archbishop of Wellington. He is very supportive and generous with his time, and what a joy it is to see the chaplaincy growing.
Auaunaga Faale-agaga Samoa
Fa’atofala’iga
O le Auaunaga Faale-agaga Samoa ua faatuina e faasoa atu ai le tausiga faaleoleomamoe mo Tagata Katoliko Samoa uma, o lona uiga, o i latou ia o totino o Aulotu faapea foi ma i latou e le o ni totino o Aulotu i totonu o Palisi.
O lenei Auaunaga sa faavaeina e le Akiepikopo ina ia faasoasoa, fetuutuuna’i ma faaaoga ai le malosi ma le sosia o loo i totonu o le Laumua Katoliko ma le Auaunaga Faaleoleomamoe ina ia atina’e ma faatupulaia ai le malamalamaga Katoliko, e ala i a’oa’oga, aso mafaufau ma faatalatalanoaga ma A’oga Aso Sa.
Matou te galulue faatasi ma Ositaulaga ma Ta’ita’i o Palisi. “Ta’ita’iga so’oso’otauau ma le auaunaga e faavae i luga o le fefaaaloaloa’i, talitonu, faalologo ma le naunauta’i e galulue faatasi atoa ai ma le fefaasoaaiga o matafaioi.” (Faatofala’iga mai le Sinoti.)
O lenei Auaunaga foi e faasoasoa mai ai le Faafailelega faauau mo Ta’iala ina ia tumau lo latou malamalamaga ma mautinoa ai o loo lava tapenaina i latou e auauna atu i le Nuu o le Atua.
Otootoga:
O le auaunaga faale-agaga mo tagata Samoa o loo alaala i le Puleaga Faa-Akiepikopo a Ueligitone. Ua matou vaavaai toto’a e puipui agaifanua, aganuu ma measina a o matou faalauiloa atili le fegalegalea’iga o aganuu eseese i totonu o le atunuu o Niu Sila. O le tausiga faaleoleomamoe/faale-agaga, o polokalame mo le a’oa’oga o tagata ma le faatinoga o sakalameta o loo faaaogaina ai lava le gagana Samoa. O le Auaunaga Faaleagaga o le Matagaluega Samoa e sefulu aulotu o loo auai i totonu. O lenei Auaunaga o loo faauluulu ai le Ta’iala mo Tausiga Faaleoleomamoe ma lagolagoina e le Auvaa o Tausiga Faaleoleomamoe. E aofia i lenei auva’a le Faauluuluga o le Ofisa, le Ulugali’i ta’ita’i o Fesoasoani Katoliko, le Faauluuluga o le A’oga Aso Sa, le Ta’ita’i o Tupulaga Talavou ma le Ositaulaga o loo gafa ma le Auaunaga o Sakalameta.
O le Matagaluega Samoa e i lalo o le fa’amalumaluga, ta’ita’i ma le pule a lana afioga le Epikopō o le Pule’aga, o Katinale John Dew.
Mikaele Teofilo works out of the Catholic Centre in Wellington.