Vicariate Apostolic of Fiji
Encyclopedia
The Vicariate Apostolic of Fiji was a Roman Catholic
missionary
jurisdiction comprising the islands belonging to the Fiji
archipelago
till 1966.
, created by Propaganda Fide in 1842. The first Catholic mission in Fiji was founded in 1844, and on 10 March 1863, the territory was erected into a prefecture Apostolic. On 5 May 1887, the vicariate was established and entrusted to the Marist fathers. The first Apostolic vicar was the Right Rev. Julian Vidal, D.D., S.M., titular Bishop
of Abydos (consecrated 27 December 1887). Catholic missions soon were established on the islands Viti Levu
, Ovalau
, Vanua Levu
, Tavenui, Kavavu and Rotuma
, the official residence of the vicar Apostolic being at Suva
on Viti Levu.
The statistics for the vicariate showed in the early 20th century, for about 250 islands, of which some 90 are inhabited; its total land area is 7435 square miles (19,256.6 km²), while the population in 1911 was 139,541 (3,707 Europeans; 87,096 autochthonous Fijians -of Melanesian (Papuan) stock, much crossed with Polynesian strains-; 4,286 Indians; the remainder of other eastern races): 30 priests (Marist Fathers), tending 18 central stations and 273 villages; 11 Little Brothers of Mary (Marist Brothers
), in charge of a boarding and day school at Suva, a seminary and college at Cawaci and an English school for natives at Rewa
; 24 European and 31 native Sisters of the Third Order of Mary (with 14 houses; novitiate at Solevu), conducting the majority of schools for girls; 8 sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny (2 houses), conducting the parochial school at Suva; 10 Sisters of the Holy Name of Mary (Marist Sisters
), in charge of the school and orphanage at Levuka
, a school at Ba, and assist the Marist brothers in the seminary and college at Cawaci; 12 native brothers (novitiate at Loretto) in 4 communities. The English college at Cawaci for the training of catechists and the children of the chiefs had 42 catechists, 80 boys and 12 girls. In the central stations the Marist brothers and sisters taught reading, writing etc., as well as religion, to 500 boys and 450 girls, while in the villages 315 catechists give elementary instruction to about 2000 children. The churches and chapels numbered 65, and the total -minoritarian- Catholic population about 12,000 (300 Europeans). A station for lepers was conducted on Makogai
Island by one Marist father and two sisters of the Third Order of Mary.
In 1966 it was promoted as Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Suva, which has three suffragans on other island states: Rarotonga
(Cook Islands
), Tarawa
(Kiribati
) and Nauru
(both last-named states are independent).
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
jurisdiction comprising the islands belonging to the Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
till 1966.
Missions
The Fiji Islands were included in the territory of the old Vicariate Apostolic of Central OceaniaVicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania
The Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania was a Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction in the Southern Pacific.-History:The whole of Oceania had at first been entrusted by the Propaganda Fide to the Society of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary ; but the territory proving too large, the western...
, created by Propaganda Fide in 1842. The first Catholic mission in Fiji was founded in 1844, and on 10 March 1863, the territory was erected into a prefecture Apostolic. On 5 May 1887, the vicariate was established and entrusted to the Marist fathers. The first Apostolic vicar was the Right Rev. Julian Vidal, D.D., S.M., titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Abydos (consecrated 27 December 1887). Catholic missions soon were established on the islands Viti Levu
Viti Levu
Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
, Ovalau
Ovalau
Ovalau is the sixth largest island in Fiji's Lomaiviti Archipelago. Situated at 17.70° South and 178.8° East, , the island is about 13 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide...
, Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
, Tavenui, Kavavu and Rotuma
Rotuma
Rotuma is a Fijian dependency, consisting of Rotuma Island and nearby islets. The island group is home to a small but unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognizable minority within the population of Fiji, known as "Rotumans"...
, the official residence of the vicar Apostolic being at Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
on Viti Levu.
The statistics for the vicariate showed in the early 20th century, for about 250 islands, of which some 90 are inhabited; its total land area is 7435 square miles (19,256.6 km²), while the population in 1911 was 139,541 (3,707 Europeans; 87,096 autochthonous Fijians -of Melanesian (Papuan) stock, much crossed with Polynesian strains-; 4,286 Indians; the remainder of other eastern races): 30 priests (Marist Fathers), tending 18 central stations and 273 villages; 11 Little Brothers of Mary (Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
), in charge of a boarding and day school at Suva, a seminary and college at Cawaci and an English school for natives at Rewa
Rewa Province
Rewa is a province of Fiji. With a land area of 272 square kilometers , it includes the capital city of Suva and is in two parts - one including part of Suva's hinterland to the west, and a noncontiguous area to the east, separated from the rest of Rewa by Naitasiri Province...
; 24 European and 31 native Sisters of the Third Order of Mary (with 14 houses; novitiate at Solevu), conducting the majority of schools for girls; 8 sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny (2 houses), conducting the parochial school at Suva; 10 Sisters of the Holy Name of Mary (Marist Sisters
Marist Sisters
The Marist Sisters are an international congregation or order of Roman Catholic women. The Marist Sisters recognise Jeanne-Marie Chavoin as their Foundress and Jean-Claude Colin as their Founder.-Early life of Mother Saint Joseph:...
), in charge of the school and orphanage at Levuka
Levuka
Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. It was formerly the Capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population of 1,131 , about half of Ovalau's 8,360 inhabitants...
, a school at Ba, and assist the Marist brothers in the seminary and college at Cawaci; 12 native brothers (novitiate at Loretto) in 4 communities. The English college at Cawaci for the training of catechists and the children of the chiefs had 42 catechists, 80 boys and 12 girls. In the central stations the Marist brothers and sisters taught reading, writing etc., as well as religion, to 500 boys and 450 girls, while in the villages 315 catechists give elementary instruction to about 2000 children. The churches and chapels numbered 65, and the total -minoritarian- Catholic population about 12,000 (300 Europeans). A station for lepers was conducted on Makogai
Makogai
Makogai is an island belonging to Fiji's Lomaiviti Archipelago. Covering an area of 8.4 square kilometers, it is situated at 17.26° South and 178.58° East. It has a maximum altitude of 267 meters....
Island by one Marist father and two sisters of the Third Order of Mary.
In 1966 it was promoted as Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Archdiocese of Suva, which has three suffragans on other island states: Rarotonga
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva. It was erected as the Prefecture Apostolic of Cook e Mnihiki in 1922, elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of Cook Islands in 1948 and elevated as the Diocese of Rarotonga...
(Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
), Tarawa
Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
(Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
) and Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
(both last-named states are independent).