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10 November 1842. — Lettre de Susanne Pukega and Romaine Tui to the Faithful of Lyons, Wallis

Based on the copy written by Marin Fournier APM OC 418.1

Translated by Fr Brian Quin SM, April 2016

Wallis Island 10 November 1842

Letter from all the Christian people of Ouvea to the faithful in Lyons.

[1]

We offer to you great acts of thanksgiving for the happiness which has come to us from the love you have shown to us by providing us with a bishop and priests who have saved us by freeing us from the awful state in which we were sunk; we are now all baptised and confirmed, and have all received the sacraments we were eligible for. It is for that that we offer you, our dear brothers and sisters, great thanksgiving for our happiness which comes from your love, because it is your prayers that have obtained this for us. How happy you are, you people, for having known the true God for so long! We, we were deep in wretchedness! That is why we are now thanking you so very much for your love which has brought us to the knowledge of the true God and has made us happy. The only sadness that we have is that our ancestors have gone to punishment, and that it is only through you that the knowledge of the true God has come in these most recent times. Let thanks be given to almighty God for his goodness, and thanks be given to you for the concern you have shown us by sending us rosaries which are, for us, like defensive weapons; and clothes to cover our perishable bodies. You have had compassion for our poverty, but your great act of love has been to have provided us with our bishop and his priests; they are our greatest possession; we love them fiercely because they deliver us from evil and take care of us every day; it’s through them that we are happy, because it is through them that we have entered the impregnable fort of Jesus Christ. It is for that, that once more we thank you, yes, thank you for your love.

[2]

His Lordship the Bishop stayed among us for a long time, then he left, and we long for his return. Here, we are asking you to send us other bishops and priests, because they are still rare, and still numerous are our relatives deep in paganism in this part of the globe. Send us more rosaries, several of us still do not have any. We dare to ask you as well to send us clothes to cover us when we receive Communion. We would like to be able to approach the holy table with appropriate decency, but how can we do that in our nakedness? It is true that we are rich in tree- leaves, but they are not appropriate. We have already received proofs of your love, and we are making yet one more request of you; to send us, if you love us, some pious women (Sisters) to instruct the women of Ouvea. We are familiar with the word of God, it is true, the priests have introduced it to us; through it we know the will of our true Father, but in spite of that we do not cease asking you for women to instruct us because we are moved by the sadness of our holy Fathers (the priests). They are able to put up with all sorts of difficulties, but we cannot stop longing for Sisters, so that they can share with us various aspects of useful knowledge.

Signed: Susanne Pukega, Romaine Tui.

[3]

This letter has been written by two newly-baptised women, who have done it in the name of all their countrywomen. It was Susanne herself who wrote it. She is a married woman with three children. Several other newly-baptised know how to write, but there was not enough time to get them to sign. A very great number know how to read.

Ph(ilippe) J(oseph) Viard, Provicar

P(ierre) Bataillon, missionary priest