austraLasia #2479

St Francis de Sales' birthday gift - Sagato Falanisisi o Sale Parish!

APIA: 14th August 2009 -- 21st August is the birthday of St Francis de Sales....something like 442 years ago!  Nevertheless, he gets a birthday gift from an unexpected part of the world - the island of Savai'i in the 'Samoa' Group, where the Salesians started out 30 years ago. They then moved to Apia, the capital, on Upolu but have recently re-included the island of Savai'i in their pastoral purview. Read on:

    The Salesians of Don Bosco took over the so-called 'Parish' at Salelologa, on the island of Savai’i, Samoa, only last year.  For the best part of 2008 Fr Nick Castelyns SDB, a veteran missionary in Samoa, was the only Salesian  in the Parish, returning to his 'home community' at Alafua on the island of Upolu for community gatherings and meetings each Wednesday and Thursday.  In 2009 he has been joined by the newly ordained Fr Paselio Tevaga SDB.  The presence of Don Bosco and the Salesians there is now making itself felt very strongly.  The so-called 'parish of Salelologa' really consists  of 3 aulotu – independent traditional Samoan community groupings - each with its own Church and Catholic community.  The Church at Salelologa is dedicated to the Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple, the one at Iva to the Triumph of the Cross, and the community and Church at Salelavalu is dedicated to St Theresa of the Child Jesus.
    At a recent meeting of the Pastoral Council, Fr Castelyns, after consultation with other Salesians in the Pacific, proposed that all three Churches should  retain their patron Saints, but the whole complex of the three Churches, forming one Parish under the care of the Salesians, be placed under the protection of St Francis of Sales (Samoan: Sagato Falanisisi o Sale).  The proposal has been discussed for some time by the three communities, and was unanimously accepted at the most recent Parish  Meeting.
    A new Church is almost complete at the main Salelologa centre, and a residence for the Salesians is also nearing completion.  The villagers are also working on building a small hall, with accommodation in a second story for a catechist and his family.  At the last census, the following figures were calculated for the three centres: Salelologa: 29 extended families (matafales), Iva 19 and Salelavalu 9.  This may not appear a great number, but once we recognise that each matafale averages 10 people, there are about 600 'souls' in the newly named Parish of Sagato Falanisisi o Sale, although – as in most places in the world – that is not the number of people actively present in the life of the Church, so should not be taken too seriously!
    The Salesian Province of Australia and the Pacific is close to concluding a lease arrangement with the Samoan Government of a fine piece of land for a new secondary college.  It will be fenced and cleared this year, and building operations will begin in 2010.  A further Salesian presence will thus open its doors to the young people of Samoa in 2011.

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Title: australasia 2479
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces: Australia-Pacific Expansion in Samoa
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2479