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| 2444: Mount
St Mary's, Martintar, Nadi, Fiji |
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Mystery
Worshipper: AMB3182.
The church:
Mount St Mary's, Martintar, Nadi, Fiji.
Denomination:
Roman Catholic,
Archdiocese of Suva.
The building:
The church sits on a small hill within the grounds of Mount
St Mary's Catholic Primary School. The original church looks
as though it was built in the 1960s and now forms part of a
larger church completed in 2011. The building reflects the needs
of the Pacific climate with large verandahs on three sides,
louvre windows and ceiling fans suspended from the roof. The
sanctuary contains a large altar in the shape of a tanoa bowl
and a finely carved wooden crucifix. There is nothing notable
about the design or architecture of the building. The church
entrance is dominated by a large statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception.
The church:
The parish is served by two priests from the Society of Mary
(more commonly called the Marist Fathers), Oceania
Province, and both of them are Fijians. The congregation
are comprised of members from Fiji's principal ethnic groups
and Rotumans and part-European, part-Fijian citizens.
The neighbourhood:
Nadi is Fiji's third largest conurbation and a centre for tourism
and commerce. The runway of Nadi International Airport is about
500 metres from the church. The church welcomes large numbers
of visitors who are holidaying in Fiji in the nearby resorts
and islands.
The cast:
The Revd Iosefo B. Nakavulevu SM. The altar servers were barefoot
but looked very smart in green cassocks and white surplices.
The date & time:
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 23 September 2012, 9.30am.
What was the name of the service?
Mass.
How full was the building?
More than 50 per cent full. The pews in the front section held
a scattering of people.
Did anyone welcome you
personally?
Not formally, but a few parishioners said "Bula" (hello) or
"Yadra" (good morning). The parish spokesmen who read the parish
notices at the end of the mass gave a warm welcome to the visitors,
which I thought was a nice gesture of fellowship.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pews are wooden with wooden kneelers – not really built
for comfort.
How would you describe
the pre-service atmosphere?
Quiet. I watched the four altar servers process in the Blessed
Sacrament chapel just prior to the mass and kneel before the
tabernacle to say some prayers before returning to the sacristy.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
There were no books. A pew sheet was provided with the mass
readings in English and Fijian.
What musical instruments were played?
There was a choir made up of members from one of the parish sector areas. Guitars accompanied the singing.
Did anything distract you?
The decal designs applied to the windows in the sanctuary to simulate stained glass were really tacky and kept drawing my eye away from the altar.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
The worship was dignified and prayerful. The mass was said in
English. All the elements of the Catholic mass were present.
The priest was very diligent and considered in his celebration
of the rite except for the Lord's Prayer (see below).
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
6.5 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
8 – The priest, I discovered, was recently ordained and
it seemed like he is still feeling his way a bit when it comes
to preaching. For example, a teacher at the seminary must have
said, "Always get a laugh" or something similar, and so
there was the obligatory humourous incident that the congregation
duly acknowledged with laughter. But I thought that given the
length of time, he managed to elucidate quite clearly the theme
of the gospel passage.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The gospel reading for the mass was Mark 9:30-37 ("Whoever
welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me").
We must not be childish, but rather childlike in wisdom. Just
look at our altar servers (this was the obligatory humourous
bit). We must be as honest as an angel and humble in everything.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The range of colourful fabrics and patterns used to make the bula shirts for the men and boys and the sulu and jaba for the women and girls was vibrant and lovely to look at en masse.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
When the priest asked everyone to join hands to say the Lord's
Prayer. I am not used to doing this. Fortunately I was at the
other end of the pew and the lady nearest me did not attempt
to stretch out her hand to me.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
People smiled warmly but no one engaged in direct conversation.
However, I did note a strong sense of community in the gatherings
of groups outside the church after the mass.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
There was no after-service coffee, although it was possible
to purchase a freshly baked banana cake to help with the fund
raising for the church extension.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – The liturgy was celebrated with dignity and the singing
was lovely to listen to even if the songs were a little too
modern for my taste.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes. There was a genuine sense of prayer and worship.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The barefoot altar servers. |
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