Features
October 2013
Fr Philip Gibbs SVD
Ex-Wellingtonian Fr Philip Gibbs SVD, who’s based in Papua New Guinea, recently spent some time in Kiribati.
There, he was impressed with the way people celebrated the Feast of the Assumption (15 August).
Fr Philip says, ‘In Kiribati, the Feast of the Assumption is a special time when Catholic faithful gather to have processions and to dance and sing.
‘With the majority of people being members of the Catholic Church there has been a healthy inculturation with faith influencing everyday life and cultural expression leaving its mark on the feast day.
‘The photo shows women from the Catholic Women’s Movement – Teitoiningaina (Morning Star) at a gathering for the Feast of the Assumption in South Tarawa.
‘The theme at the foot of their banner could be translated as: “A faithful woman is the richness of the home without compare.”
‘Some of the women said that they now have relatives living in Wellington.’