Vince and I have arrived safely home from Samoa.   This is just a short précis of our trip.  We were able to visit all ten Mission Stations while we were there.  We contacted all of them apart from the two parishes a day or so before we actually visited.  We were not able to get any reply to the parishes so just turned up and the Good Lord was looking after us and one priest had just returned from planting taro and the other parish had a relieving priest but at least we had someone to talk to. 

The first mission station we went to was Papanui’s St Peter’s School at Falefa – a very poor village about ½ hour out of Apia.  Both Vince and I were appalled at the conditions the poor teachers worked under but were also impressed how devoted they were to the children and teaching in general.  We thought “boy if this is what is awaiting us we will be going home very depressed”.  However that was the worst school (basic conditions wise) we struck. 

On the whole the schools really did need our support and spoke so sincerely about the help they received from the CWL.  Most of them showed us what they had spent the money on for the last few times they had received it. 

The same could be said of the two Homes for the Aged we visited.  The Sisters were so dedicated to the people and so kind to them even though they did not have much to offer them in material goods. 

We found the parishes on the other hand were pretty well supported both by the Archbishop and also the parishioners.  Both main churches we visited had in the past 12 months been renovated and painted.   I don’t know whether any of you have ever been to Samoa but there are heaps of churches of all faiths and they are mostly  enormous buildings. 

We also found that, apart from the Salesian Sisters at Leauva’a who have a Polish Salesian Priest as the Parish priest next door, the schools do not get much support from their Parish Priest and in one instance the Sisters told us that when they have their wind-up at the end of the year, they usually have it outdoors but if the weather is not fine they hold it in the Parish Hall and it costs the school $400 which is about NZ$250.  Vince and I thought that a bit of a cheek. 

We called to see the Archbishop a few days after we arrived and his Secretary told us that he was in New Zealand for medical tests and would not be back till after we returned to New Zealand.  However she was aware we were coming and said the Archbishop was sorry he could not be there to meet us.  We met the Secretary Tina a couple of times later in our visit. 

We even got a mention on the Catholic Radio Station one morning via an unusual method.   A bandsman friend of Vince’s from Whangarei was over there with his wife to train the Bishop’s Band.  He knew Vince and I were going to be there so asked Vince if he would come and do some training the second week we were there as Vince plays a trombone and Frank did not and he thought it would be good to have an expert to help the band out.  On the Wednesday morning Frank was interviewed on the Radio and Frank said that he had a friend over in Samoa with his wife Maureen and he was going to help out with the band.  He went on to say that Maureen was the National Mission Convenor of the Catholic Women’s League in New Zealand and she was in Samoa to visit Mission Stations that the League have supported for a very long time.   So we even got some air time thanks to the Bishop’s Band. 

Finally we had an amazing time while we were in Samoa and learnt so much about the country and culture.  We have come home very much enriched as a result of our visit.