A New Bishop for Wallis and Futuna

On Christmas Eve last year, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Ghislain de Rasilly SM as bishop of Wallis and Futuna. Bishop Ghislain had led the diocese since 2005.

The Holy Father appointed Fr Susitino Sionepoe SM as Bishop Ghislain’s successor. 

Bishop-elect Susitino was born in Hihifo, Wallis Island, on 4 January 1965. He was professed as a member of the Society of Mary on 30 December 1989 at Tutu Novitiate on the island of Taveuni in Fiji, and was ordained priest on 28 November 1993 in Hihifo.

The bishop-elect has ministered in Tonga and in New Caledonia, and was Vicar Provincial of the Oceania Province of the Society of Mary from 2012 until 2017. He represented the Province at the General Chapters of 2009 and 2017. At the time of his appointment as bishop, Fr Susitino was based in New Caledonia, in charge of Touaourou/Unia/ Yaté Parish.

In his message announcing Fr Susitino’s appointment, P. François Grossin SM wrote: We wish him the very best, and assure him of our prayers for a fruitful ministry in our sister-Church of Wallis and Futuna, which was the first to receive the Gospel brought by the Marist missionaries 182 years ago in 1837.   

Sources: P. François Grossin SM, and the Holy See Press Office, N. 0966.

Tagged as: Bishop Ghislain, Society of Mary, Wallis and Futuna