WALLIS AND FUTUNA, Apostolic Vicariate of the Islands of. - It lies between the Fiji and Samoa islands and comprises the islands of W., F. and Alofi, plus a few islets.

On 1 November 1837 Father Bataillon landed there together with Msgr. Pompalier and Father Chanel. Father Bataillon, having obtained permission to reside there, began to learn the language. He and his missionaries, however, had to endure every kind of privation and severe persecution. On the island of F., Father Chanel (v.) was killed on 18 April 1841.

The islands were erected into a vicariate on 11 November 1935, being detached from the apostolic vicariate of Central Oceania (v. TONGA). The population, which is about 8,747 inhabitants, is entirely Catholic, served by 10 Marist missionaries and 7 native priests, 3 brothers, 53 sisters. There are 10 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools, and various charitable works and pious associations.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: I. Hervier, Les missions maristes en Océanie, Paris 1902, pp. 1-39; anonymous, Centenaire des missions maristes en Océanie, Lyon-Paris 1936, pp. 78-80; AAS, 28 (1936), pp. 133-54; MC, 1950, pp. 478-79.

Saverio Paventi

@incollection{ec12_wallis_e_futuna_vicariato_apos, author = {Paventi, Saverio}, title = {Wallis e Futuna, vicariato apostolico delle isole di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1646}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/wallis-e-futuna-vicariato-apostolico-delle-isole-di} }

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Wallis and Futuna, Apostolic Vicariate of the Islands of

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