Using tapa in church

Tongans are deeply religious people and regular churchgoers. There are many churches of various denominations in the kingdom. There are also many schools run by churches.

Brother Mark Oliver has provided information about the beautiful, old, Catholic church in Lapaha, which you can see in the photograph.

On Sundays at mass, the church is filled with Tongan families dressed in their Sunday best. A special feature is the beautiful singing conducted from the front of the church and accompanied by the church band. 

The second photograph shows how tapa cloth is used to cover the altar in Saint Michael's Catholic Church at special church services.

Saint Michael's Catholic Church in Lapaha was opened in 1921. Work started in the building in 1894. It was built and paid for by the people of the parish and took 27 years to complete. The church is made of blocks of coral rock. The stained glass windows, most of which are as old as the church, are an attraction for visitors. Two local family names date back to the construction of the church. 'Falemaka' meaning stone house, and 'otuhiva' meaning the ninth row of blocks. Names in Tonga are often given to mark significant events.

The original church clock, which is thought to be of French origin, chimes twice on the hour. The people relied on it for time keeping, so the repetition is to check in case you didn't count correctly the first time. It is still in good working order. When the church was built, it faced the main road and the lagoon looking towards Nuku'alofa. Later the main road went behind the compound, so now the church appears to be back to front. There are four bells in the tower.

In Saint Michael's Church in Lapaha, tapa is used for special occasions. It can be used as a floor covering and it is also used to cover the altar. The occasion for which the church was decorated with tapa was the feast of Corpus Christi.