Fiji Day in Melbourne

from w
Our Geelong Fiji Friendship Club members took a minibus up to Melbourne to Moorabbin Rugby Ground on Saturday for the Fiji Day celebration. The main guest was Ro Teimumu Kepa, a high chief from Rewa Fiji, a lady of distinction, intelligence and grace who had stood up to the military regime with courage in a situation when the Methodist Church had planned their Annual Conference to be in her chiefly village. Alas, it didn't happen. Anyway she visited Melbourne this weekend.

Also on Saturday there were rugby matches, stalls with delicious Island food, formal ceremonies and the children had a jumping castle.

On Sunday we went up to Melbourne again for the Fiji Day ecumenical church service at St Joseph's, Malvern, as guests of the Melbourne Fiji Catholic community. It was a beautiful Mass to which all were invited to take the Sacrament, something which does not happen often. A beautiful feast followed in their church hall. Peceli and I were thinking of some of our close friends from Labasa who belonged to the Catholic Church back in Fiji, and felt this was a great reconciliation day as Methodists seem to keep their own culture to themselves. So there was modern-day singing to a band as well as acapella four part singing and most of the service was in Fijian and English. Peceli is the 'minister of the gaps' it seems, as someone didn't turn up so he had to do the final prayer and blessing, which he did in English, Hindi and Fijian, a nice conclusion.

There are more photos on the babasiga blog, some photos are from a friend Va who posted them on facebook.