Susitino Sionepoe S.M. (born January 4, 1965) is a

Futunan Futunan or Futunian is the Polynesian language spoken on Futuna (and Alofi). The term East-Futunan is also used to distinguish it from the related West Futunan (Futuna-Aniwan) spoken on the outlier islands of Futuna and Aniwa in Vanuatu. The ...

Catholic prelate and the current Bishop of Wallis et Futuna. He was consecrated on March 24, 2019, by

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Michel-Marie-Bernard Calvet Michel-Marie Bernard Calvet S.M. (born 3 April 1944 in Autun, France) is the French-born New Caledonian Archbishop. He has served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nouméa from since his appointment on 19 June 1981. He also s ...

Mata'Utu Mata Utu (; ʻUvean: Matāutu, ) is the capital city of Wallis and Futuna, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located on the island of Uvéa (Uvea), in the district of Hahake, of which it is also the capital. It is one of two ports in Wa ...

, the Capital of

Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (; french: Wallis-et-Futuna or ', Fakauvea and Fakafutuna: '), is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji ...

. His appointment as bishop was the result of the resignation of the previous bishop on 24 December 2018.

Personal life

Susitino was born in

Vaitupu Vaitupu is the largest atoll of the nation of Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census) living on with the main village being Asau. Geography The island, which covers approxima ...

, the capital of the

Hihifo District Hihifo ( Uvean for "West") is one of the 5 districts of Wallis and Futuna, located in Wallis Island, in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Chiefdom of ʻUvea. Geography Located in the northern side of the island, Hihifo borders with the distric ...

in Wallis (Also known as 'Uvea). Between 1982 and 1984, he was in the ''Foyer Vocationnel'' of the

Society of Mary (Marists) The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM, commonly known as the Marist Fathers, is a men's Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right. It was founded by Jean-Claude Colin and a group of seminarians in L ...

in Finetomai, 'Uvea. He completed Secondary education at Paita,

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

and served in the French Navy in

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, a ...

for two years before returning to continue his seminary education. He completed his Second

Novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

in 1992 after a brief year doing Pastoral work in

. He completed the novitiate in the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney The Archdiocese of Sydney ( la, Archidioecesis Sydneyensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church. Its episcopal see is Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Erected in 1842, the archdiocese is the metr ...

. He was then ordained to the Priesthood in 1993 by Bishop

Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga The Diocese of Tonga (Latin: ''Dioecesis Tongana'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Tonga. It was erected as part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania in 1842, had subsequent name changes ...

under then newly-consecrated Bishop

Soane Lilo Foliaki Soane Lilo Foliaki (18 April 1933 − 24 December 2013) was the third Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga. Education Soane was educated at St Patrick's College, Silverstream. He graduated the University of Hull, and achi ...

. After two years in Tonga, he returned to New Caledonia where he worked in the Archdiocese of Nouméa until 2012. He was elected as Oceania Provincial Vicar of the Marists in 2012, and resided in

Suva, Fiji Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divis ...

. He was concurrently made Religious Superior of the Marists in Wallis and Futuna. He held both positions until his appointment as Bishop in 2018. When appointed as Bishop, he was working in pastoral ministry alongside the Marist Fathers in Yale, New Caledonia.

Appointment as bishop

After the resignation of Bishop

Ghislain Marie Raoul Suzanne de Rasilly Ghislain Marie Raoul Suzanne de Rasilly (born July 9, 1943 Juvardeil, France) is a Catholic prelate and the Bishop Emeritus of Wallis et Futuna since 24 December 2018.

on December 24, 2018, Sionepoe was appointed by

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

on the same day. Attended by people on both islands, his consecration as Bishop was held on March 24, 2019 and presided by

, Archbishop of Nouméa. Assistant Bishops included his predecessor,

and the Bishop of Port-Vila, Jean-Bosco Baremes. The letter announcing his appointment was read out by Monsignor Edward Karaan, Charges d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. His consecration was attended by Bishops and Priests of the Diocese, as well as a delegation of 200 people from

, including the President,

Philippe Germain Philippe Germain is a French politician who served as President of the Government of New Caledonia from 2015 to 2019. He was elected to the presidency on 1 April 2015 with a five-year mandate. Presidency Before Germain's election on 1 April 2015 ...

. He then was hosted by the

Lavelua The King of Uvea is known as the Lavelua. This is a list of the rulers of the polity of Uvea, which is also known as Wallis Island of the Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands. First Dynasty from Tu'i Tonga The first dynasty reigned from a ...

with a traditional Kava Ceremony and feast on the mala'e of Sagato Soane Palace. The Bishop then held a thanksgiving Mass at his place of birth,

Vaitupu, Wallis and Futuna Vaitupu () is a village in Wallis and Futuna. It is located in Hihifo District on the northeast coast of Wallis Island Wallis ( Wallisian: ''Uvea'') is a Polynesian atoll/island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collecti ...

, on March 25. He is the second Wallisian to hold the position. He is also the second person born in Hihifo to hold the position, after

Laurent Fuahea Laurent Lolesio Fuahea (5 September 1927 – 2 December 2011) was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Wallis et Futuna from 1974 until 2005. Fuahea was born in Hihifo, Wallis Roman Catholic Diocese of Wallis et Futuna The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wallis et Futuna (Latin: ''Dioecesis Uveanus et Futunensis''; French language, French: ''Diocèse de Wallis et Futuna'') in Wallis and Futuna is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nouméa. It wa ...

Laurent Fuahea Laurent Lolesio Fuahea (5 September 1927 – 2 December 2011) was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Wallis et Futuna from 1974 until 2005. Fuahea was born in Hihifo, Wallis1965 births Living people Wallis and Futuna Roman Catholic bishops People from Vaitupu French Navy personnel Roman Catholic bishops of Wallis et Futuna