Viriditas2: Soul Greening
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
I made my final profession as a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in January 2024. In December of that year, I was ordained a priest. In January 2025, I was missioned to Hawaii. The life of a missionary is a continuous response to God’s call, to bring him to others.
I come from Tonga, where Christianity has deeply shaped our society. The first missionaries there were Protestants, and Catholics arrived later. Historically, the faith of the king often became, in a sense, the faith of the nation.
Wesleyan Methodists were very influential, while Catholic missionaries, particularly the Marists, served places like Futuna, near Tonga. Over time, the Catholic Church grew across Oceania through education, service and witness.
My family story reflects that journey. My father, grandparents and extended family were Catholic. My mother was Protestant but became Catholic when she married my father.
What drew them, and many others, to the Catholic faith was prayer, the Eucharist, the sacraments and the way the missionaries lived among the people. The French and European priests were kind, present and generous in helping the community. Many people attended the Catholic schools, and through that experience, their faith deepened.
I am one of 12 siblings. Of nine boys and three girls, I am number six. My father was a catechist, and I later became one as well.
In our home, church life was not optional; it was simply how life was lived. Morning prayer at 6 a.m. was mandatory. Sunday school was expected. The rosary, choir, altar serving — everyone participated. As long as we lived under our father’s roof, faith was part of our daily rhythm.
From a young age, my parents introduced us to religious and priestly life. I served at the altar and sang in the choir. I also have an aunt who is a nun and a cousin who is a priest. Over time, what began as habit became understanding. We learned not only what we did, but why we did it, the theology behind our faith.
There was a time when I worked and prayed, asking God for a good wife while also desiring to be a priest. I finished school, helped my parents, found a job and provided for my family. I enjoyed my work and my life, yet I never stopped going to church. The Mass was already part of who I was.
Even now, every day, whether or not I am on the schedule to celebrate Mass, I wake early and go to Mass. I truly love the Eucharist. To understand the real presence of Christ — body, blood, soul and divinity, is everything.
Jesus is here. He draws us in. We say we want to do good for others, yet sometimes we forget he is already present, waiting for us.
As a priest, I pray daily: “Sanctify me, Lord. My hands, my thoughts, my heart.” I am a sinner, even as a priest, and I need his grace every day. To celebrate the Eucharist, to serve him, to bring Christ to others, this is why I am here. There are so many people longing to see Christ every day.
Father Lomano Fifita is the parochial vicar of St. Ann Church.