Bringing the Love of Christ to the people in the Island Nations of the Pacific and New Zealand.
For over ten years we have been providing children and communities with an environment of love and support.
Everything started with God inspired yearning and with the faith of one man …
While in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the context of my first informative episcopal journey, I met Kyriakos, a rational thinker, a businessman, an energetic and active member of the local Greek Orthodox community who spends a considerable amount of his own personal time participating in civic life, providing aid and assistance.
In his own straightforward way, he gave a vivid description of the exceptional experience he had when he met with the former Metropolitan of New Zealand and current Metropolitan of Ganou and Chora, His Eminence Amfilochios, and heard from his own lips of his thoughts and plans for the beginning of a proposed missionary effort in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Kyriakos listened to him carefully, with great respect, and tried to understand the scope of the elder’s thoughts. He listened, and did not speak until the end. If he had spoken, it would have been with his characteristic logic, and he would have told the Elder that this vision, this project, was in practical terms impossible, since its implementation would require huge amounts of financial resources, human and technical resources and the Elder in his personal possession had only his cassock. Inwardly, Kyriakos thought that due to his age, the Metropolitan had begun ‘to lose it’ and to think illogically. Gerontas, in the meantime, left and began the realization of his vision. Time passed and Kyriakos found himself in Fiji on a business trip. There he went to have a close look at all those things that until then he had only heard about. And what did he see? A most beauteous and spotless Church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, standing there like a white dove in the green and rural landscape of the island. From there he could hear beautiful Byzantine Ecclesiastical hymns emenating from the mouths of the young children of the Orphanage and of local Fijian nuns in a manner that many people would envy. He took a seat and gazed at them. He enjoyed what he was listening to and did not want what he was experiencing to end. The Divine Liturgy was about to finish, though. 30 children and all the attendees responded to the call of the officiating priest Fr. Bartholomew, « With the fear of God, with faith, and love, draw near.” Everyone without exception partook of Holy Communion. Only Kyriakos stood in a corner dumbfounded and stunned by what he was experiencing. As soon as they came out of the church, the peaceful and reverent atmosphere of the service gave way to smiling faces and to the happy sound of children’s voices. Joy was obvious on their faces, in their movements, in their speech, in their behaviour towards each other. Kyriakos gave them four balls, two for football and two for rugby, which he had brought for them. It is practically impossible to describe their joy at these little presents. Before long, the whole place was filled with children running, playing, having fun; trustful children feeling safe and secure, knowing that they were surrounded by people who loved them and cared for them. They thanked him in a very polite and mature way, with beautiful words in Greek. However, what pleased Kyriakos the most was their smile and the expression of their joy. “This state of existence is rare in our rational Western societies”, he thought to himself. We do not teach our children how to be truly joyful, how to live and rejoice in life. In addition, Kyriakos also visited the monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the Safe Home, and the guesthouse for the older boys. He was enthused, touched, and felt, deep within, the nature and importance of the work of the Church, her role, her mission in the world. With some regret, he remembered his formerly reserved attitude to Gerontas dream, and his eyes filled with tears. Wanting to make a personal contribution, he went to buy a generous quantity of food, new beds and mattresses and plenty of toys for the children. He wanted to feel like a member of this joyful community. Since then, his respect, gratitude and admiration for Elder Amfilochios and the work he accomplished have been evident and ongoing, and the only words he has been saying are words of gratitude and admiration. In conclusion, he has been encouraging all of us to continue to enhance the great, God-pleasing and «crazy» vision of Elder Amfilochios. His Eminence Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand Carry on "the madness"The flame of the Orthodox Apostolic Mission has been lit in Oceania and the fire is growing and spreading. Two thousand years after the resurrection of Christ we bow in reverence to the God of Love Who wants “all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth”. (Timothy 2:4)
St Tabitha Children’s Home & Safe Home in Fiji was built in 2013-2015 next to our Holy Trinity church in Saweni, Fiji, we have also established an Orphanage/Children’s Home dedicated to St. Tabitha which since 2015 has operated in cooperation with the Fijian Ministry of Social Welfare. Over the last five years, over fifty children have been looked after by us in St. Tabitha Home. We currently house around twenty-five children, in a modern, fit for purpose, fully staffed facility. Our aim is to do more than simply house these children. We want to provide them with an education and a loving and supportive environment in which they can flourish and grow. The ongoing costs of running the Children’s Home are around NZD 6,000 per month.
This sum covers the direct day to day expenses: food, electricity, clothing, schooling and the cost of payment for staff and tutors. The nuns who care for the children do so unpaid, and dedicate themselves to this mission out of love for Christ and for the children.
You can sponsor children from St Tabitha Children’s Home. By setting up a monthly donation of NZD 170/month you will not only provide for the daily needs of one child but also offer some stability in the lives of all our children.
Since 2009 with help of God, across the Oceania, we have baptised hundreds of people, and many are being catechised. Our Church has purchased properties throughout the pacific, in the two main islands of Fiji and in the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga, Tongatapu; and in Apia the capital of the Samoan Islands. We have built and established six churches, so far, for the Liturgical assembly of the locals: Four in the Fijian Islands with two more churches planned in the near future. Two churches in Kingdom of Tonga in Nuku’alofa. In Apia, Samoa we have purchased a plot of land and the church of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John is scheduled for the future.
St George Church, Nuku’alofa, Tonga (Building in Progress)
Building started in 2016. NZD 35,000 needed for completion.
Arhondariki of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels, Levin, New Zealand (Building in Progress)
Building started in 2015. NZD 40,000 needed for completion.
St Paul Church, Vanua Levu, Fiji (NEW Project)
Foundation stone laid in 2016. NZD 60,000 needed for completion.
St John the Theologian Church, Samoa (NEW Project)
Land bought in 2018. Preparing to start building. NZD 300,000 needed for completion.
St Varnavas Church, Labasa, Vanua Levu, Fiji (NEW Project)
Bigger church to be built in the same compound with Sts Nikolaos and Athanasios Chapel. Foundation stone laid in 2016.
NZD 60,000 needed for completion.
St.Paraskevi Chapel, Sabeto, Viti Levu, Fiji
Building started in 2009. Completed in 2012
St. Athanasios and Nikolaos Chapel, Labasa, Vanua Levu, Fiji
Land bought and building completed in 2010.
Monastery of the Holy Archangels, Levin, New Zealand
Land bought in 2009. Building completed in 2012.
Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Saweni, Viti Levu Fiji
Building started in 2012. Completed in 2013
Holy Trinity Church, Saweni, Viti Levu, Fiji
Land bought in 2012. Building completed in 2015.
Sts Peter and Paul Chapel, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Land bought in 2015. Building completed in 2016.
Sometimes the work of Apostolic Ministry (Ierapostole) is as simple as extending a helping and loving hand. The Gospel of Christ prompts us to visit the sick, to comfort those who mourn, to clothe the naked, to reconcile those who are in conflict, to visit those in prison and to work for their release, to shelter the orphan, to support the widow or single mother, to help others to find work… Such tasks are the sweetness of the work of mission. There is no greater blessing than to serve our beloved brothers and sisters in their need. Do you feel called to join us? Love is best expressed in person, face to face, hand to hand, arm in arm. We are always looking for those who feel called to a life of service in Christ. Could it be Christ is calling you right now?
Everyone who believes themselves to be a disciple of Christ must emulate the divine example of our Lord and Saviour. The same humility, the same unconditional love for neighbour, the same kind of sacrificial love.
Every little bit helps. 100% of the money you donate goes directly to our programs. All of our administrative team are volunteers which keeps our overhead low. Raised funds are used to support our children’s home, their education, our priests, our monasteries, housing and transportation and in the event of natural disasters for community relief. Continue reading “Donate Money”
From website design to cooking or building, we have a need for every skill. Please get in touch with us if you can offer some of your time and talent to help our mission. Continue reading “Donate Your Time & Skills”
At different stages of each project there are specific needs. Please get in touch if you would like to make an in-kind donation. Continue reading “Donate Supplies”
Last but not least, please remember us in your prayers.
A prayer is an expression of love and every good deed starts with prayer.
☦︎Orthodox Apostolic Ministry 