125 Years of Marist Education In Samoa Celebrated In NZ

125 Years of Marist Education In Samoa Celebrated In New Zealand

The milestone 125 years anniversary of Marist Education in Samoa was celebrated in Auckland on Saturday with Mass led by Father Talipope Vaifale followed by dinner.

The event organised by the Marist St. Josephs Old Pupils Association in Auckland was held at St. Joseph’s Church at Grey Lynn attended by old boys, families and friends.

Brother David Lavin shared the history which began in September 1870 when Brothers Ulbert and Landry, both 35 years old, left Mother House of the Marist Brothers in France for the new Pacific mission in Samoa. On 1 May 1871 after six months at sea, they arrived and opened a school at Saleufi, Apia.

The first school closed in 1877 due to ill health of the Brothers and factional warfare which erupted in Samoa.

In 1888 Brothers Phillippe, Hilary and Dalvianus opened the school in Mulivai, teaching English. 1889 saw more civil war and unrest in Samoa with the three great powers of Germany, England and the United States all jostling for control of Samoa. Br. Phillippe, fluent in French, English and Samoan had the gruesome task of recovering the dead mediating between the rival factions. The Treaties of 1899 finally restored order with Eastern Samoa being given to the United States and Western Samoa to Germany. The German flag was raised in Apia, and as Germany became the official language Br. Alfred continue d his class for Germany children. The roll rose to 130.

A new school was built in 1909 with five spacious classrooms for over 300 students. By 1932 there were more than 400 students.

World War 2 had little effect on the Mulivai school. The roll continued to grow – reaching 587 in 1943, and new buildings were added, the grounds developed and the lay teachers employed to help teaching the growing numbers.

In 1950 St. Joseph’ High School began at Mulivai with Br. Jerome as Principal while the Brothers looked for a better site. This was found at Lotopa and the St. Joseph’s began there in 1960.

In the 1960’s Br. Casmir over saw the building of a new Brother’s house at Mulivai. From 1965 – 1969 Br. Jerome and Fr. Robin Leamy SM ran a Mission’s Teacher Training School at Mulivai to provide well trained local teachers for the demand in Apia and in the village mission schools.

In 1975 the school roll had now reached 1,100 students, ready to fill the new classroom blocks parallel to the Mulivai river which Br. Claver (Basil Ward) had been building. Among other Brothers serving at the school during these years were Brs. Cormac, Patrick, Timothy, Ronald, Stanislaus, Gonzaga (Desmond), Christopher, Donald and Edward.

Today Marist Mulivai is sited at the back of the Brother’s property with two new classroom blocks, a new administration area, Hall and the soon to be completed Science and Library block, a donation of the Old Boys as they celebrate 125 years of Marist education at Mulivai.

A New Zealand contingent will be travelling to Samoa this week led by President Leota Isaako Saufua and committee of the Marist St. Josephs Old Pupils Association in Auckland, members of the Class of 1988 and the Samoa Consul, Faolotoi Pogi who is also the patron of the Auckland chapter to join with the celebrations at Marist Mulivai.

ENDS

Fa’amanatu i Niu Sila Le 125 Tausaga o Aoga a Malisi i Samoa

O le Aso Toanai na tea nei na fa’amanatuina ai i Aukilani le 125 tausaga o aoga a le Malisi i Samoa i le sauniga Misisa na taitaia e le afioga Patele Talipope Vaifale sosoo ai ma le fiafia.

O le fa’amoemoe sa tapenaina e le Asosi a Tama Tuai o Malisi Sagato i Aukilani lea sa fa’atinoina i le St. Joseph’s i Grey Lynn ma sa auai tama tuai, o aiga fa’apea pa’aga.

Sa saunoa Brother David Lavin i le tala fa’asolo pito i le amata mai ia Seteme 1870 ina ua tuua e alii Felela o Ulbert ma Landry le nofoaga autu o le Malisi i Farani mo le fa’atuina o le misiona i Samoa. O le aso 1 o Me 1871 i le mavae ai o le ono masina i le sami, na taunuu ai ma tatalaina le uluai aoga i Saleufi, Apia. O le 1877 na tapunia ai le aoga lea ona o gasegase o alii Felela ma le tulai mai o le va tau o Samoa i le avaitaimi.

O le 1888 na toe tatala ai le aoga i Mulivai e Felela Phillippe, Hilary ma Dalvianus ma aoaoina ai le gagana Peretania. O le tausaga 1889 na vaaia ai le fa’ateteleina o le va tau i Samoa i le taumafai o atunuu malolosi o Siamani, Peretania ma Amerika e fia pulea Samoa. O se galuega faigata na feagai ma Felela Phillippe i le avea ma fa’aliliu mo le vaaia o e na maliliu ae maise o le taumafaiga o se leleiga i itu o loo va tau.

O le maliega i le 1899 na pulea ai loa Samoa i sasae e Amerika ae vaaia Samoa i sisifo e Siamani ma avea ai loa le gagana Siamani ma gagana aloaia lea na aoaoina ai loa e Felela Alfred mo fanau a Siamani. Aofai o le aoga ua 130.

1909 na fausia ai le aoga fou ma iai faleaoga tetele e lima mo tamaiti aoga e silia i le 300. E oo atu i le 1932 ua silia i le 400 le aofai o le aoga.

E le i afaina le aoga i Mulivai i le Taua Tele lona lua o le lalolagi. Tumau le fa’atupulaia o le aoga ma ua oo atu i le 587 i le tausaga 1943 ma faisia ai loa le isi faleaoga fou fa’apea le fa’aleleia o le lotoa ma ua fa’afaigaluega foi nisi faiaoga fou.

1950 na amatalia ai le aoga Maualuga a Sagato Iosefa i Mulivai a o avea Felela Jerome ma puleaoga. O le taimi lea foi lea ua saili alii Felela mo se isi fanua lea na maua i Lotopa lea na see iai le aoga i le 1960.

O le vaitau o le 60 na feagai ai Felela Casmir ma le vaaia o le fausia o le fale o Malisi i Mulivai. Mai le 1965 – 1969 na feagai ai Felela Jerome ma Patele Robin Leamy ma le faia o le aoga fa’afaiaoga i Mulivai mo le tapenaina o faiaoga fou mo le manaoga tele mo faiaoga i Apia fa’apea foi aoga a le ekalesia i nuu.

O le 1975 ua oo le aofai o tamaiti aoga i le 1,100 ma fa’aaogaina ai loa faleoaga fou o loo fa’asaga agai i le vai o Mulivai lea sa Fausia e Felela Claver (Basil Ward). O isi o Felela sa galulue ai i ia tausaga e iai Cormac, Patrick, Timothy, Ronald, Stanislaus, Gonzaga (Desmond), Christopher, Donald ma Edward.

O le taimi nei o loo iai le aoga a Malisi i Mulivai i tuaane o le lotoa a alii Felela ma ua iai fale fou e lua, o le nofoaga mo le pulega, o le fale mo fa’atasiga ma o le a iai foi le nofoaga mo aoaoga fa’asainisi ma le faletusi o se mea’alofa a Tama Tuai i le taimi o le fa’amanatuina o le 125 tausaga o le Malisi i Mulivai.

O le vaiaso nei e auai atu ai i le fa’amanatuina o le Malisi i Samoa ia le aumalaga mai Niu Sila e aofia ai le Persetene o le asosi a Tama Tuai o le Malisi i Aukilani, le afioga ia Leota Isaako Saufua ma le Komiti, fa’apea sui o le vasega o le 1988 ae maise le Konesula o Samoa, le afioga ia Faolotoi Pogi o ia foi o le fa’atama.

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