Father Bartholomew Senibulu, the first indigenous Fijian priest, eternal memory
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, and with deep respect for the family of the blessed Father Bartholomew, I dedicate these words in humble remembrance of a priest, father, and brother to all who toiled in the Orthodox mission.
May the Lord rest his soul in the abodes of the righteous, eternal memory to him.
His repose is a moment of sorrow for his family, his parishioners, and the wider Orthodox community in Fiji and Tonga. However, it is also an opportunity to glorify God for a life spent in the service of Christ and His Church.
I first met Father Bartholomew when I was fifteen years old and lived in the same neighborhood as the church. At that time, Orthodox Christianity was unknown to me, and even the sight of a priest in a black cassock troubled me; as a child, I wondered if he belonged to a completely different religion.
My first substantial encounter with Father Bartholomew took place one Saturday evening, when I saw him walking towards our house with a warm and gentle smile, inviting us to attend the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos. I was immediately impressed by the fact that he was a native Fijian Orthodox priest, and the first question that came to my mind was what had attracted him to this ancient faith and indeed to the priesthood.
As I began to attend services more often and learn about the faith, I slowly understood the beauty of the path Father Bartholomew had chosen. He became for me a living witness who drew me deeper into the love of the Church.
He was a man in whom gentleness and seriousness met. He could appear strict, especially in matters of the Church: in the order of services, in the care of the church premises, and in the preparation for feasts. But his seriousness was not harshness; it stemmed from reverence and discipline. When something was not done correctly, he would correct it, often saying: “When you do something, do it in the best possible way.” These words still resonate within me, for they reveal how deeply he believed that the Church shapes our lives and calls us into communion with God.
One of my last memories of Father Bartholomew was shortly before I left Fiji earlier this year. I met him one Sunday morning, as he waited near the church, having arrived early before it opened. In our conversation, he reminded me to encourage the young children of the Church to remain faithful and strive to live according to what the Church teaches. That moment revealed the silent love and care he often carried within him. His concern was not only for the present, but also for the future of Orthodoxy in Fiji and the new generation called to continue the life of the Church.
The life of Father Bartholomew is particularly significant, because he was the first indigenous Fijian to be ordained in the Greek Orthodox Church. He was ordained by His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of New Zealand as a deacon at the Holy Monastery of the Archangels of Tharri in Rhodes, and as a presbyter in the city of Thessaloniki. He served for seventeen years in various parishes in Fiji, and later in the Mission of the Kingdom of Tonga.
His journey in Orthodoxy revealed the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church taking root in the soil of the Pacific islands, and his life became a call to all Fijians and all islanders: to take up their cross, to follow Christ and to worship Him in spirit and truth, as the Gospel proclaims.
At the end of his journey, even as his health deteriorated, he continued to serve the Church, until his condition became so severe that he was eventually bedridden.
According to His Eminence Metropolitan Myron, who visited him at his home along with Archimandrite Father Meletios on April 22, 2026, Father Bartholomew mentioned that, in the early hours, he heard the sweet chanting of “Agni Parthene” , the hymn to the Mother of God. He then heard a voice telling him: “Do not worry. You are already healed. You will get up and walk again.”
Three days later, surrounded by prayer, he surrendered his soul into the hands of the Lord. Such an end befits a life centered not only on the service of the Church, but also on the hope of resurrection and eternal life in Christ.
Today we commemorate Father Bartholomew as a humble and faithful servant of Christ, who served the Church for many years and has now joined those who preceded him: Metropolitan Elder Amphilochios, and Fathers Barnabas and Panagiotis. May their memory be eternal, and may they continue to pray and intercede for us.
The presence of Orthodoxy in Fiji remains new, but profoundly significant. Father Bartholomew stands at the beginning of something new and great: not only as the first indigenous Fijian Orthodox priest, but also as a witness that the Orthodox faith can be embraced, lived, and transmitted by the Fijians themselves.
My hope is that younger generations will build upon the seed he sowed, learning the faith, loving the liturgy, serving with discipline, and bringing Christ into their homes, villages, and islands. May Orthodoxy continue to flourish in Fiji, and may the example of Father Bartholomew continue to inspire and guide all who labor for the Church.
Written by Reader Amphilochios Ratu Buatavatava
Final Year Theology Student, St Andrew’s Theological College, Sydney
