Chapel of St. Bernadette - LAUSIKULA

According to Reverend Father Jaupitre, the chapel of Lausikula is an extravagant edifice whose construction was driven by a kind of ostentatious ambition which the Bishop tried in vain to rein in.

The location was originally the site of a charming little oratory, with a statue of St. Bernadette standing at the entrance to a natural cave hollowed out in the cliff-face.

In 2012, following the destruction caused by cyclone “Evan”, Reverend Father Amasio Fatauli, priest of Hakake parish, decided to take the matter into his own hands and began restoration and construction work for a new chapel.

The present enormous and lavish chapel, worthy rival to Poï Basilica in Futuna, was blessed on 26 September 2014.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption - MATA'UTU

Construction work on this imposing cathedral built of blue volcanic stones, erected on the site of a former mid-19th century church, lasted from 1952 to 1959. It has two prominent towers, rectangular in shape, dominating the landscape. It bears the royal insignia of Wallis, a Maltese cross, between its towers.

According to his last wishes, king Soane Patita Vaimu’a was interred here in 1958, the royal tomb later becoming the last resting place of his sister queen Falakika Seilala and her daughter queen Amelia. Monsignor Alexandre Poncet, who had blessed the cathedral when it was completed in 1959, now also lies within its walls. He was interred here in 1973.

Church of Saints Peter and Paul - VAITUPU

Hihifo parish church was initially built in the village of Vailila and later transported to Vaitupu in October 1848. Monsignor Bataillon took upon his own shoulders all construction work for the stone Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The building work lasted from 1865 to 1866. In September 1865, he blessed and laid the first stone with great solemnity and immediately went to work.

On his death in 1898, Father Rondel, then parish priest of Hihifo, was interred in the sanctuary of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus - Carmel de Holo

The path to the convent turns off the road 200 metres past the only roundabout on the island. The only convent in Wallis and Futuna, it was founded in 2003 by Monsignor Lolesio Fuahea. The Wallis Carmel originally housed only six Carmelite sisters from Samoa. Since construction of the convent designed to accommodate them had only just commenced, they were temporarily housed in Malaetoli and were only able to move into their permanent hilltop quarters on Mount Holo in October 2005. Today, the convent houses a dozen Carmelite nuns. The chapel, attached to the convent, is dedicated to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus because the first Carmelite sisters arrived in Wallis on 1st October, the feast day of Thérèse de Lisieux.

Lano Chapel - ALELE

The chapel of Lano was blessed by Monsignor Elloy in August 1877. A seminary to train native priests was founded by Monsignor Bataillon in 1845; it proved a great success and the ordination of the first four Wallisian and Futunan priests was held in the chapel in 1886. They were Father Likumoakaaka, Father Lolesio Kava'uvea, Father Kesiano Malivao and Father Sosefo Maugateau of Futuna.

Based on a classic Latin cross plan and built in volcanic stone, which has gradually blackened over the years, the chapel has a plain facade with no porch. The interior belies the severe exterior, with the entire roof embellished by superb tapa cloth panels decorated with stunning black and white geometric designs.

Father Padel was interred in the chapel sanctuary in 1879 and Father Bouzigue joined him in his final resting place in 1906. A mausoleum was later built near the chapel in 1938 and blessed by Monsignor Poncet.

Kalevalio, landing place of the missionaries - KOLOPOPO

In 1837, the first Catholic missionaries landed in Wallis at Kalevalio, in the village of Kolopopopo to the south of the island. As soon as they set foot on the island, they fell to their knees and recited an Ave Maria. The group included Monsignor Pompallier, Father Bataillon, Father Chanel, Father Servant and Brothers Luzy, Delorme and Colombon.

Monsignor Pompallier left Father Bataillon and Brother Luzy in Wallis to begin their mission work. Father Chanel set up a mission in Futuna, assisted by Brother Delorme. Monsignor Pompallier then travelled on to New Zealand with Father Servant.

In 1887, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic faith in Wallis, a cross was erected here and blessed in memory of the day when the first missionaries came to the island, and in honour of Father Bataillon’s ordination as Bishop of Enos in a ceremony performed by Monsignor Douarre on 3 December 1843.

Church of St. Joseph - MALA'EFO'OU

The very first place of Christian worship in Wallis (a small hut of woven leaves) dates back to 1840 and was dedicated to St. Joseph.

Eager to have their own stone church, the parishioners applied for permission to build one. It took 10 years to complete construction of the church and it was finally declared open in 1869. Monsignor Bataillon conducted the solemn blessing of the new church the following year. He declared: “There is nothing to equal this church in the Vicariate, not even, I believe, in the whole of Oceania”. Mgr. Bataillon, Bishop of Enos, died on 10 April 1877 and, as he wished, his body was interred in the sanctuary of the Church of St. Joseph.

The Parish Feast Day celebrating Saint Joseph the carpenter, patron saint of Mua District is held on May Day. A joyous local festival no visitor should miss!

Chapel of Saint Pierre Chanel - Mont Mauga (KOLOPOPO)

This little chapel, dedicated to Saint Pierre Chanel, lies atop Mount Mauga, between the lakes of Lanutuli and Lanutavake.

Every year on 28 August, a pilgrimage to the secluded chapel is held in honour of St. Pierre Chanel. The day traditionally ends with the celebration of a solemn mass followed by a big community katoaga.

Monsignor Poncet tells the story of how the chapel was built in his Memoirs, writing: “For several years, we had wanted to build a chapel commemorating Blessed Pierre Louis Marie Chanel’s visit to Wallis (note: Msgr. Poncet wrote this in 1947, prior to the canonization of Pierre Chanel in June 1954). The chosen site was a knoll surrounded by woodland overlooking the district of Mua (...)”.

Basilica of St. Pierre Chanel - POÏ

A must for visitors to Futuna: every year on 28 April, the anniversary of his death, services are held in Poï to honour St. Pierre Chanel, patron saint of Oceania. The Poï site is dedicated to the saint and features an imposing basilica and a chapel. On entering, pilgrims who flock to the special celebrations each April are bathed in a soft radiance of light and shade conducive to prayer and meditation. Perhaps the most eloquent and poignant part of the experience is the sanctuary chapel where two finely wrought and carved silver reliquary caskets containing the martyr’s skull and some of his bones are displayed behind glass.

Loka Cave - ALOFI

Since Loka Cave was blessed on 3 December 1952, it has become a popular shrine sheltering a statue of the Virgin and an altar.

Loka Cave is somewhat reminiscent of the rock cave at Massabielle in Lourdes, but on a much larger scale. A pilgrimage to Loka takes place every year on 11 February, the date the Virgin Mary first appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in the cave at Massabielle.

Church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows - ONO

Perhaps the most symbolic of all Futuna’s religious monuments, although nothing could surpass the grandeur of the Poï basilica. The original church was destroyed by an earthquake but rebuilt, the architects making every effort to retain the church’s “Roman” aspect. The rebuilt facade is rectilinear and austere, there is no porch but there are three doors with semicircular arches, with two large square towers rising through four floors on either side. The towers frame a many-arched tympanum whose central feature is an alcove containing a statue of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows supporting the tortured body of her son wrapped in a shroud.

Church of St. Joseph - NUKU

The parish church of Sigave, located at Sausau mission in the village of Nuku, is dedicated to Saint Joseph, whose feast day is celebrated on 1st May. Two great galleries run along the upper level on each side of the central nave. A noteworthy feature is the carved wood tabernacle picked out in red and gold which stands on the floor to one side and appears to show the facade of a Gothic cathedral.

Nearby, a small altar comprises a statue of the Virgin Mary on a flat volcanic stone base fixed to an enormous misshapen block of the same material.

“Notre Dame de Lourdes” Chapel (VILAMALIA)

In addition to a long nave, this church has three main features: a central bell tower rising over three floors, flanked on either side by two low square towers.

Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated by a statue housed in a small alcove in the upper part of the bell tower and a larger statue set atop a circular pillar outside the body of the church.