October 2014
Feature
E ofo atu manū i le ‘au faitau ae maise le pa’ia o Samoa tulou! O outou sa ma faigata o le ‘a le o’o i ai sa matou fa’amatalaga, o Samoa ua uma ona tofi. Ae nu’unu’u atu pa’ia o le Atua i le Aufaigaluega pa’ia o lo’o talafa’auto ma fa’afale tuluia auā vi’iga i le lagi fa’apea le faanoanoaga manū mo Samoa. O sina fa’amatala la’ititi ua talosaga mai ai le tatou pepa auā le silafia i tulaga o mataupu tau a’oa’oga fa’ale – Ekalesia i se ‘au’aunaga mai matua, faia’oga aso Sā fa’apea se lagolagosua a aulotu ta’itasi.
Mika Teofilo
The mass migration in the 1950s and the 1960s increased the Pacific Islander population in various New Zealand cities including Wellington. As families settled they wanted to deepen their children’s faith in the way they had experienced themselves.
Now, Samoan Catholic Sunday schools are a normal ministry within our Archdiocese of Wellington parishes. Since the establishment of Aulotus (Samoan communities in parishes), Sunday schools have enriched the lives of Samoan Catholics. In turn, their communities enrich the Archdiocese with a strong faith culture and traditions, singing, dancing and warm hospitality.
Maintaining and keeping Samoan Sunday schools is the result of hard work and dedication, as well as enthusiasm, from the parents, Sunday school teachers and Aulotu members. Formation of the voluntary teachers is developed through annual retreats, workshops and seminars.
Generous assistance comes from people throughout the Archdiocese, including theology teachers from The Catholic Institute, priests and others with vast experiences in Catholic teachings. Their knowledge and guidance ensure quality of the ongoing education of the Sunday school teachers.
It’s not easy to get up early on a cold Sunday morning so special acknowledgement is given to the parents, the children and the generous voluntary teachers who make our Sunday schools work. And it would not be possible without the collaboration of the parishes who provide space for Sunday schools to gather.
As lay pastoral leader of the ADW’s Samoan Chaplaincy, I organise, facilitate and help co-ordinate activities within the Matagaluega O Ueligitone (Samoan Chaplaincy, Wellington) including the Samoan Mass schedule as well as co-ordination of the Samoan Sunday school programme and youth activities. I am supported by The Matagaluega/Chaplaincy Team which includes the Ta’ita’i Aoga Aso Sa (Sunday school leader), Ta’ita’i Autalavou (youth leader), Faipule (head catechist) and the Matagaluega executive officers.
Mika Teofilo works out of the Catholic Centre in Wellington.