“Father Mika: a priest, a fighter for justice, a musician and friend, passes on” (22/11/2022)

One of the sad occasions while exiled in Melbourne is to get news of the passing of one’s friends.

Father Mika, a priest, a fighter for justice and a great musician passed away a few weeks ago according to a Fiji Times bereavement notice.

I first met Father Mika in 1998 when I was doing some research at the Public Records Office in Kew Gardens (London) on the British Government’s shoddy treatment of Fiji’s nuclear test veterans (including Ratu Penaia Ganilau) who the British Government had sent to monitor the immediate after effects of the nuclear testing at Bikini. I was staying at the home of Fiji High Commissioner (Filimone Jitoko and his wife Lina) and every night we were entertained by the visiting musical priests from Rome, Father Mika and Father Ioane.

We continued our friendship in Fiji where he would come home and play for all my friends, including the leading feminists of Fiji then (the late Amelia Rokotuivuna, Makareta Waqavonovono, Susanna Tuisawau, Claire Slatter and others), most of whom rued the fact that this handsome Tongan musician was a Catholic priest.

Father Mika was concerned about the many injustices taking place at USP, including the non-renewal of the contract of a Tongan economist friend of ours, and Father Mika blogged and fought against these injustices. It was no surprise for me of course, as Catholic priests had been part of our group protesting the 1987 coup and a couple even spent an evening in the cells with us. That fight for social justice has also been continued by the Catholic Archbishop Chong who stands out among the religious leaders of Fiji.

In 2014, I once enticed Father Mika to come with me to an evening with the Bilolevu Boys who used to jam at the crypt at the bottom of the Catholic Cathedral in Suva. I was fortunate to record many of the clips of Father Mika playing his ukelele, to the obvious delight of the Bilolevu musicians who included Joe Chang, (the late) Richard Fiu, (the late Rupeni Serevi), Craig Strong and many others not in the clip.

This clip has been put together by me to celebrate a wonderful priest, musician, and friend who brought some much joy to so many people.

Family members of Father Mika if they want the full clips of Father Mika’s songs may write to me (wadan.narsey@gmail.com) with a small USB drive.