C.C.C.S. Fagalii celebrate with laughter

By Alexander Rheeney 14 May 2023, 2:37PM

For every annual Mother's Day celebration in Samoa, it is customary for the autalavou (the youth) and the Sunday school to take the lead in the commemoration festivities.

But for the Congregational Christian Church Samoa (C.C.C.S.) Fagalii, the faifeau (pastor) Petaia Leapai, and the fathers of the church decided that this year it would be the fathers who would take the lead on Sunday with performances.

And the fathers did not disappoint when they took control of the proceedings after the pastor did his sermon as part of the Mother's Day celebration. When the falesa (church building) erupted with laughter from the congregation, it was obvious that the fathers had taken their performances to the next level.

The fathers of the Fagalii C.C.C.S. had opted for a show akin to a pageant, their costumes and wigs immediately catching the eye and setting off howls of laughter from the watching mothers and the rest of the church congregation.

It was the perfect icebreaker for a Mother's Day Sunday, which would normally be a solemn ceremony with the youth and the children leading, with their fathers taking a back seat with nods of approval.

But the celebration of this year's Mother's Day was different for obvious reasons – it was the fathers who brought laughter and cheer and put a smile on every mother's face. For the first time, wives of the church got to see their husbands don costumes that looked extraordinary, and when fused with Samoan humour and a pinch of scripture brought the house down again with more laughter.

It was the perfect recipe for a memorable Mother's Day celebration with the church's Pastor Leapai and faletua (wife) Tinei Leapai elated with the decision to let the fathers take the lead. It was a full house for the church at Fagalii.

Due to the success of the 2023 Mother's Day celebration at the C.C.C.S. Fagalii, it appears the church members are now looking forward to next year with the hope that the fathers will again take the lead in the festivities. 

• Samoa Observer Photographer Piui Simi contributed to this report.

By Alexander Rheeney 14 May 2023, 2:37PM
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