Churches

The City of Suva is set on a peninsula and is surrounded by water in almost all sides. The first Christian missionaries to Fiji were three Tahitian teachers of the London Missionary Society, in 1830. As a result, the city of Suva is now home to some of the oldest and most beautiful churches in the country.

 LDS Church

Latter Day Saints have developed at a large scale in Fiji. They have their own schools situated in the plush residential side of Suva and manifested a magnificent Church for their followers. Unfortunately, if you are not of LDS fellowship, you cannot enter the Church, however, from word of mouth, it is truly a beautiful place to be in and a great church to take pictures of from the outside, as much as the interior. LDS holds Cultural performances in its schools and music shows. They bring in international speakers as well to preach to the people of Fiji about other LDS followers all over the world and their experiences in the faith.

 Cathedral

The Sacred Heart Cathedral was built in the year 1902 in Suva, and is the largest Church in the City and is directly under the global Roman Catholic Church headed by the Pope. The design of the Church is derived from those in Rome and is located in Pratt St. Catholics make up about 10% of the entire Fijian population. The Church is a wonderful structure with beautiful stained glass and a high arched ceiling, with elaborate patterns on the inside, reflected on the exterior. There is also a crypt in the basement but without any bodies. The Church opens its doors all day for prayers so for those of you willing to take a tour inside, feel free to as there is nothing against photography either. Public conveniences are found in the basement of the Church when you enter from the side of the building. Visiting a holy place such as this is definitely fulfilling, especially to the mind and inner peace. Enjoy the Sunday morning chorus of song in its invigorating sounds which fills the entire street, making it a truly magnificent experience.

Potter House Church

With a name derived from the Old Testament verse, Potter’s house is one word which is often used by other independent church groups. The Christian Pentecostal Church is recognized in 112 Nations. The church has an evangelistic program involving open air preaching, personal witnessing, as well as door to door promotion.

Nailili Church

This beautiful Catholic Church sits on the outskirts of Suva City towards the town of Nausori. It’s on a beautiful spot located on the Rewa delta. The church is surrounded by greenery matching standard that of Golf course. The structure resembles a one storey, smaller and simpler version of the ‘Nidarosdomen Cathedral’ in Norway. The Church has intricately stained glass, probably brought in from overseas at that time, and astonishing colors paralleled to the fusion of cultures of the Fijian people. Nailili Church was built by Fijian Catholic scholars on a site which was originally a place where trying struggles for converts between Wesleyan and Catholics wrote history. This Church has seen better days and at the moment is close to ruins with its decaying roof and old foundation. But it’s still being used by the people of that area. Renovations are in the books for coming years, however, its best to see this historical monument before memories of yesteryear are literally broken away.

Centenary Methodist Church

The Methodist Church was already established and running before the colonial government of Fiji and the Fiji Military Forces were formed. The first Methodist Missionaries came in 1835 with the sole aim of Christianizing the whole country. However, during that time, among the indentured laborers, there were some strong faith Indians who did not wish to convert. From then on, Methodist fellowship has spread more widely amongst the Fijian people than any other ethnicity born on Fijian soil. Methodists make up almost 40% of the entire population and forms a key part of Fiji’s Social Power structure. The church located in the City is proof of this great change in the beliefs of the people of Fiji, which is evident through its wonderful Roman inspired architecture. The Church is located in Stewart Street.