Church of the Sacred Heart of Levuka
In Levuka, the former first capital of Fiji, the church of the Sacred Heart, raised by the Marist Fathers - the Society of Mary - has been raised since 1858 and considered the oldest and most developed Catholic mission of the archipelago. Its stone tower, with a bright cross on the needle, still guides the ships that cross the reef's passage to the port.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- The church was built and consecrated in 1858 by the Marist Fathers, the spiritual children of Mary, with Father Jean- Baptiste Bréhéret as the first priest; the clock tower was erected in memory of his arrival.
- The masonry tower, about 24 meters and with four bells, has a unique function in the world: its cross of light guides the ships through the opening of the reef to the port of Levuka.
- The Neogotic-style temple and Latin cross plant designed by P. Louyot is part of the "Historical Port City of Levuka" set, registered by UNESCO as World Heritage in 2013.
- The Catholic mission of Fiji had begun in 1844 with the arrival of the Marist Bishop Bataillon to the Lau Islands; after years of trials and penalities, the Marists took root in Ovalau, and from Levuka the faith spread to other populations of the archipelago.
Sacred Heart (Levuka)
The church of the Sacred Heart of Levuka, consecrated in 1858 by the Marist Fathers, is the heart of Fiji's oldest Catholic mission. Its torre-lighthouse, which directs the navigators to the port, is a simple image of what faith does with souls: give them light to reach a good port.
In You I trust; Mary, Mother of the Society of Mary, keeps the Church of Fiji.
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