Hawke’s Bay welcomes Archbishop of Samoa

There was much celebration in Napier on the weekend of April 12 and 13 when Afioga Aki Epikopo Alapati Mataeliga, the Archbishop of Samoa, visited the Hawke’s Bay Catholic Samoan Community.
The community gathered at St Thomas More parish where an ava ceremony was held on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning the archbishop celebrated Mass. After Mass the community gathered in the hall for speeches and a traditional feast. The archbishop then left for Auckland before returning to Samoa the following day.
The Hawke’s Bay Catholic Samoan Community are now meeting monthly and Fr Maleko from Wellington will celebrate a Samoan Mass at St Thomas More on the last Sunday of the month.