Girard0295

c. 8 December 1843 — Letter from Susana, Penetiketa, and Sotana to Father Jean-Claude Colin, Wallis

From the copy, APM OC 418.1.

Sheet, “Bath” paper, forming four written pages. Text in two columns, Wallisian on the left, French on the right. In the register of letters, ED 1, it bore the number 181. This undated document was undoubtedly written between 3 December 1843, the day of Bishop Bataillon’s consecration, and 9 December, the day of the Bucéphale’s departure from Wallis, according to Delbos, p. 28.

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Wallisian	English translation
Ko te tohi seni ate hahai fafine fuape o Sagato Sosefo kia te koe aloa Kolotio.	This letter is from all the young women of Saint Joseph to you, Father Claude (Colin).
Ematou faka fetai atu isiou ofa mai kia matou kua ke momoli mai ia patel e Patalio keina faka hoko te finegalo o te Afio kia matou nee nofo ite kovi koia kua matou faka fetai atu ai aloa Kolotio he kua matou mauli pea kua matou manuiape ko siou ofa mai mote mote hahai fuape o lukutuno ko ia kua matou faka fetai lahi atu ai mo fiafia mai o matou loto he kua matou iloi te tupu aga ko te uhi ko si autou manutu mai kia matou nee nofo ite kovi pea kua hoki matou ilo ki mali te ofa ote atua he kua matou mauli pea kua matou papoto ma mo kofilimasio pea ku a matou komu ni o fuape pea kua matou faka fetai lahi ai kite ofa o Sesu Kilisito [p. 2]	We thank you for the kindness that you have had for us, the kindness that you have had for us in sending us Father Bataillon to bring us the knowledge of God’s will, to us who were living in misfortune. For this reason we thank you, Father Claude, for if we have life, we owe it to your charity and to that of all the inhabitants of Lyon. For this reason great is the gratitude and rejoicing of our hearts, for if we know our Creator, it is because you remembered us who were living in misfortune; and only now do we know the love of God, since we have all received life. We are all baptized, then we have all been confirmed, and we have all communicated; for this reason great is our gratitude toward the majesty of Jesus Christ. [p. 2]
he kua Afio ito matou loto kote umea noa koia matou manuia ai kae mamahipe o matou loto kisi o matou kaiga kua ite kovi ko te aloga o si amatou heiloi te tupu aga he nee matou nofo hepe o tauhi kite vaiga noa ko ia ematou kole atu ai aloa Kolotio kaeiai hina kii moi ofa kei toe ia koutou pea ematou kole atu ke koutou hufaki matou kite tamai ke matou hoko ki selo	Because he is willing to dwell in our hearts, which are nothing, and this is what makes our happiness. But one thing saddens our soul: when we think of our relatives who died in misfortune because they had not known the Creator, for formerly we were in error, giving vanities the name of divinity. For this reason we implore you, Father Claude, if there still remains among you some small particle of charity. Yes, by that charity we implore you to pray for us to the heavenly Father, so that we may reach heaven.
pea matou faka fetai atu ai leva kite tui tapu io fakafetai mo Kelekolio te ofa mai kua matou ilo tomatou manuia kua lahi kua hokomai te finegalo o Sesu Kilisito ke faka nofo ia patele patalio kote aliki epikopo o Uvea nei pea kua matou fia fia mo faka fetai lahi kite somopote fise i siana manatu mai kua matou mamata ai kite faka nofo ote epikopo keina a konaki mo tala te fekau tapu tapu ate atua kite hahai o te potu malama nei io faka fetai mo siou [p. 3]	Now it is to the most holy pontiff that we wish to present our thanks. Yes, thanks to Gregory XVI, it is now that we know the full extent of our happiness, now that Jesus Christ has made known his will that Father Bataillon be appointed Bishop of Wallis. How we rejoice in this, and how grateful we are to the Sovereign Pontiff for having remembered us. We have seen the consecration of the bishop who has been given to us to instruct us and to carry the sacred word of God to the peoples of this part of the world. Yes, thanks be given to you [p. 3]
tou ofa kua lahi kia matou nee mavahe mai te kolo o Petelo io faka fetai mote kataki mote ofa o tuku mai te faahiga tapu ke folau mai kia matou nee nofo malaia io faka fetai kua matou mauli pea kua matou mamata ai kite mea faka matakui pea kua matou fiafia aipe he kua matou manuia kua mau to matou aliki epikopo i o fakafetai mote finegalo ofa ote atua kia matou kua matou iloai te lelei mo te manuia o Uvea nei he kua matou maopoopo tahipe kita kolo o Petelo	for your great charity toward us, who were not yet in the fortress of Peter, that is, the Church. Yes, thanks for the courage and charity with which you gave us the sacred hierarchy, the missionaries, who crossed the seas to come to us who were sitting in misfortune. Yes, thanks be given: we have life, we have seen astonishing and delightful things. We shall always rejoice in the happiness we have in possessing a bishop of our own. Yes, thanks for God’s great goodness toward us. We now know that Uvea is good and happy, since we are all gathered together in the fortress of Peter, the Church.
kae matou faka ha atupe o matou loto ke koutou iloi emo le kei matou faa faka fetai atu pea emole kei matou mau he lea aoga kia koutou kaiga fuape iluvutuno isi outou ofa mai ite mamao kua matou iloai lomatou faka mauli ko Sesu Kilisito	We make known to you our inner feelings so that you may know them. We are not able to thank you enough, and we lack words worthy of you, relatives of Lyon, words equal to our gratitude for the charity that you have for us from so great a distance. It is through your charity that we have, as it were, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
aloa Kolotio ko si amatou tamai koe [p. 4] pea ke faka ho ko sia matou ofa kite hahai fuape he nee tupupe tomatou manuia ko tou kaiga	Father Claude, you are our father. [p. 4] Please therefore present our affectionate greetings to everyone, who are our relatives and from whom our happiness has come.
Aloa patele Kolotio pea kovi aipe nai amatou gaue kae ava tupe ko sio matou ofa ke ko utou vakai he ko nai mea kovi e mole aoga atu kia koutou he ko mea noa kae lahipe tomatou ofa kae matou masiva pea koena si amatou ako milo kekoutou vakai kua matou iloi pe pea ke koutou ofa mai o au mai hina mea mo o nagaohi	Father Claude, however poor our work may be, we nevertheless send you samples of it as a pledge of our affection and to make them for you. They are ugly things, without value, and very little worthy of you. We would like our gifts to equal our love, but we are poor. You will find a little cotton thread, the first sample of our spinning. Have the kindness to send us looms to make it up.
pea nematou aimusiaage ke matou kapakau o lele atu ke tou feilogaki mo koutou ko sii fanau matapule ate atua ematou tagi atu ke koutou laumai hina losalio moo matou hufaki ke matou tonu ite aho katoape kite tamai aga ofa io aloa patele Kolotio manava ofa io ematou fakafetai loaipe kia tekoe moa Kelekolio.	We would like to have wings to fly to you and see you, you who are God’s eldest children. We beg you with tears to say some rosaries for us, so that we may always be righteous before God, our good Father. Yes, Father Claude, full of goodness, yes, we shall bless you without ceasing, you and Gregory XVI.

Susana

Penetiveta

Sotana

My Reverend Father,

This letter is from the young women of Saint Joseph. I am only the translator. It is only out of modesty that they make no requests of you; but if they have put their names on their gifts, it is because they certainly thought that they would receive at least a dress from the charity of those who would receive them. It would be good to put the names again on the objects sent.

+ Pierre, Bishop of Enos

Textual Notes

• Opening column: the edition notes a correction involving “siou.”
• Page 2: the edition notes a correction involving “le” and “votre.”
• Closing page: the edition notes a correction involving “mo.”