Letters to Catholic missionaries at Rotuma from Bishops Bataillon, Elloy and Lamaze and Father V-F. Poupinel, written from Apia (Samoa), Tonga, Wallis, Futuna, Sydney and France. A typed summary in English of the contents of each letter is given at the beginning of the film.

Typed extracts from correspondence and documents from the Roman Catholic Mission to Fiji, principally:

• Letter from Fr Verne, first Catholic missionary to Rotuma, 1846 (from Bulletin de la Societe d'Oceanie 12);
• Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania by Jean Baptiste Pompallier, Vicar Apostolic of Western Oceania;
• Circular from Mgr Lamaze to all missionaries of Central and Western Oceania, 1879;
• L'Histoire de l'Oceanie Centrale by priests of the Vicariat under Mgr Bataillon;
• Correspondence dated 1872-1874, 1876-1879, 1882, 1889 regarding Catholic-Wesleyan conflict in Rotuma;
• Full text of letter from Fr Verne describing his visit to Rotuma in 1847 and the establishment of a Catholic mission there;
• Correspondence regarding the early Catholic mission in Rotuma and the progress of Catholicism there.
  NOTE: see PMB MS 428 for information on an index to this material.

See PMB MS 432. Documents relating to the Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

Correspondence (1856-90) includes conference and ratification of peace between Solevu and Nadi - 1856; religious freedom for Catholics - 1858; enquiry into complaints re Catholic Chief's resistance to Catholicism; extract from minutes of Chiefs at Bau re Catholic resistance to Wesleyan churches; letters from the Colonial Secretary re various land applications and the Teachers' Training School; various letters from Bishop Vidal. Correspondence (1899-1900) includes letters re Catholics being required to work on Wesleyan building projects and Chiefs' complaints re the use of indigenous labour on Catholic mission stations.

See also PMB MS 436 for correspondence with Government for the years 1891-98; and PMB MS 435 for the years 1901-13 and 1916-30.

Lacks: Bulletin 5 (printed but not issued): Bulletin 7 (not issued). There are 2 issues numbered 9.

See PMB MS 432. Documents relating to the Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

Correspondence with government. Includes letters regarding the depopulation of Pacific islands following European colonisation, with particular reference to Fiji (1891-92). See also PMB MS 434/435

See PMB MS 432, material relating to the Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

The documents are:

1. Reports etc. re Naililili, 1893-99
2. 'Rewa: Affaire du subside donne a l'Ecole par la province', 1898-1905
   There was a Roman Catholic Mission Station situated at Naililili, Rewa River, Suva.

Father Rougier (1864-1932) was born in France; he was ordained in the Society of Mary in 1888, and he went to Fiji soon afterwards as a Roman Catholic missionary. He acquired a large sum of money in what was known as the Cecile Affair (1906-7), and soon afterwards left Fiji and acquired plantation interests at Fanning, Washington and Christmas Islands. He resided in Tahiti and became a prominent figure there in the business and cultural worlds, being known as Abbe Rougier. (For a brief biography, see Patrick O'Reilly and Raoul Tessier, Tahitiens, Paris, 1962, pp.410-11). See also PMB 432

Correspondence relating to Father Rougier's involvement in the Cecile Affair and the disciplinary action taken against him.

An index to material copied in the Roman Catholic Archdiocesan Office, Suva, Fiji, was published in the Bureau's newsletter 'Pambu', April-June 1972:27, pp.17-20 and is available on request from the Bureau.

Correspondence with government re education. See also PMB MS 159/160 and PMB MS 428/429

See PMB MS 432. Documents relating to the Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

Correspondence with government. Please see also PMB MS 434 and MS 436

See PMB MS 432, material relating to Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

General letters to Biship J. Vidal, SM. At the end of the reel are private letters from Government House, 1897-1907.