Bishop Susitino Sionepoe SM was installed as the new Archbishop of Nouméa in New Caledonia, in the French Pacific on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Archbishop Sionepoe is a graduate of the Pacific Regional Seminary, and I had the pleasure of teaching him many years ago. I was happy to join the Rector of the seminary Fr. Augustino Ulupano SM in representing the Seminary at the Installation.
Bishop of Wallis and Futuna since 2019, Pope Francis moved him to be Metropolitan Archbishop of Nouméa. The Installation was to take place in the presence of the Nuncio at 3 p.m. Kanak dancers led the procession to the Cathedral, followed by servers, deacons, priests and Bishops. The retiring Archbishop, Monsignor Calveh, presided at the start of Mass but then the bishop’s staff was given to Archbishop Sionepoe and the retiring archbishop led him to the episcopal seat, the throne.
Archbishop Tino, as we call him, was born in Hihifo, Wallis, and did his seminary studies in Fiji. After his ordination as a Marist, he worked in Tonga and New Caledonia. Then he became superior of the Marist Mission in New Caledonia and from there was elected to the Marist provincial council. After that, in 2019, he was made Bishop of Wallis and Futuna. The outgoing Archbishop of Noumea, Monsignor Calvet, SM, is now 81 and delighted that the Vatican has finally appointed a successor.
As I set out from Suva with Fr. Tino, I never imagined the Pacifi c weekend that awaited us. Polynesia and Melanesia are places of plenty and of great welcomes. This began as we waited for the flight to Nouméa in Nadi, Fiji’s International Airport. We were sitting quietly having some lunch when a young Tongan priest, a very recent graduate, arrived, on his way back to Tonga from the United States. Now, Fr. Ulupano is both a Tongan and was this lad’s vice Rector, and I was his lecturer in scripture for many years. He arrived and gave us a very warm handshake.
We arrived in Nouméa, and Fr. Ken Bhorat was waiting for us. The visitors were shared among the parishes, and Fr. Ken got us. He is ordained for three years and is currently the Parish Priest of three parishes. He sorted us out and delivered us to a hotel.
He collected us about 6 p.m. and took us to the parish where a great concourse of his parishioners was waiting for us and for Bishop Simon Mani MSC of Kiribati. Bishop Simon had been our Rector, and on his appointment as bishop, Fr. Ulupano took over, an appointment shortly ratified by the Vatican. The first hour was a Kava ceremony to welcome the visitors. This was followed by a huge banquet for, it seems, all the parish, a welcoming banquet. At this stage, I met Fr. Bill Hergot SM of Vanuatu, now a Parish Priest and the Marist Superior in New Caledonia. Fr. Bill is also a PRS graduate and we had a great catch-up over some more kava aft er supper. Over the weekend, I had the great joy of catching up with about 20 former students.
The hospitality continued the next day. After breakfast at Hotel Gondwana, Thierry and Colette Tuaula, Fr. Ken’s parishioners, collected us for a tour of the city. We started at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, where the installation would take place. Then to St John the Baptist parish, where Fr. George Sau runs a shelter for the homeless people of Nouméa. “Donal,” he greets us, “I have not forgotten the Revelation!” After a pleasant catch-up, we headed off to the Archbishop’s residence, where we met Monsignor Calvet and Archbishop Mosese Tui SDB, the Archbishop of Samoa.
The next stop was for a cup of coffee at a nearby beach and then a visit to the beautiful Statue of Mary that overlooks Noumea. Our final stop before lunch was in Paita, where we met Fr. Jean-Patrick Callega who has just collected Monsignor Bosco Baremes of Vanuatu, also here for the installation. Fr. Jean-Patrick was one of my brightest students. I remember him correcting a mistake I made once in a Hebrew test. These moments are cherished by teachers.
We then encountered a little of the present troubles of New Caledonia. Across from the church were some burnt-out buildings, and we found a whole group of ladies who seemed to be camped at the Church. Recently, mobs of up to 10,000 disaffected youth burned three churches and many other buildings, all part of the new Archbishop’s flock. Many churches are now guarded successfully by the “mothers” during the day and by the “fathers” at night.
Then Thierry and Colette took us home for lunch. Colette had fourteen in her family, and ten are still alive. Nine of these and their children and grandchildren were gathered to welcome us and celebrate lunch with us. It was Friday, so we had a fish feast. Next to me sat Colette’s nephew, Olivier, a policeman, who spoke perfect English and facilitated a great chat over lunch.
We then went home and rested until Mass at 6 p.m. in Fr. Ken’s church. This was followed by more Kava during which Fr. Vincent Vireal arrived. I was Fr. Vincent’s Moderator at PRS back in 1993 when he was a first-year seminarian. That Christmas, coincidentally, I spent helping Fr. Derek Finlay SM in his Parish, Melsisi, on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu (and, on a side note, came home with Malaria). I also attended his ordination in his home parish of Melsisi in 2000. Since then, I had not seen him so we had a great reunion and catch-up. He arrived with gifts. His seminary companion and fellow parishioner, Fr. David Bule Tangsu, had died of cancer just three years ago.
Saturday morning was quiet. I attended Mass at 6 a.m. in the Cathedral, which is ten minutes from our hotel. We rested in the morning and then attended the installation ceremony in the afternoon. As an official guest, I had a seat right behind the bishops on the sanctuary, helping a spirit of worship and giving me a great view of everything. The Mass, in French, was solemn and very moving with the use of the missa de angelis for the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo and Agnus Dei, sung boldly by the congregation. More celebrations followed with a low-key Lenten supper for the bishops and guests.
I was up at the crack of dawn to return to Fiji the next day, Sunday. And that is how I got to spend the 54th anniversary of my ordination (April 13, 1971) on planes between three countries, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Fiji. I made it back in time for the Apocalypse on Monday morning at RPS.
Please keep Archbishop Sionepoe — and all of us — in your prayers.
Columban Fr. Donal McIlraith lives and works in Fiji.