25 – 26 February 2025 | Moana Anglican Services and Teaching Centre, Suva
The Diocese was honoured to welcome members of the Compass Rose Society to the MAST in Suva as part of their pilgrimage through Polynesia. The visit offered an opportunity to engage with local climate change responses and to experience the unique expression of Anglicanism within our Province.
Students and faculty from St John the Baptist Theological College helped host the gathering by opening sacred space for Talanoa through worship. Day one included introductions and discussions, a visit with Sister Kalolaine Tuineau MCSC and the children of St Christopher’s Home and Moana St Clare Boys Home, and concluded with a traditional welcome and dinner at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Day two featured a joint presentation by Climate Change Commissioner and Co-Vicar General Fe’iloakitau Kaho Tevi, and Ms. Elisiva Sunia. Mr. Tevi spoke on the urgent need to address the escalating impact of climate change on our island nations, while Ms. Sunia shared the story of the youth-led Community Integrated Vulnerability Assessment (CIVA), a grassroots initiative mapping family needs across Tonga’s Anglican parishes to strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience.
Later, delegates had the rare opportunity to sail aboard the Uto Ni Yalo, guided by some of the youngest certified traditional navigators in the world.
The pilgrimage concluded with a diocesan-hosted dinner at the MAST, where stories, laughter, and hospitality were shared. It was during this gathering that Archbishop Don Tamihere and Bishop Daniel Gutiérrez, President of the Compass Rose Society, announced the formation of an Indigenous Chapter—an historic step toward recognising and uplifting Indigenous leadership within the Anglican Communion. Rooted in the spirit of the pilgrimage across Vanua and Moana, this new chapter will serve as an intentional space for Pasefika and Māori voices, affirming the Communion’s commitment to justice, partnership, and the enduring wisdom of Indigenous spirituality.
Watch Archbishop Sione Uluilakepa and Martha Gardner reflect on the Fiji leg of the pilgrimage:
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