Malia Tominiko Toimoana

List of Deceased Sisters

Date of Death 07/08/2014

SISTER MALIA TOMINIKO TOIMOANA

19.05.1927 - 07.08.2014

Born in Vaitupu, Walllis on 19 May 1927, Sr Malia Tominiko was the ninth child of Selesitino Toimoana and Kasalia Lupemua in a family of ten. She was baptised with the name of Lusia. She received her primary education in the local school at Vaitupu.

In 1950 when Lusia felt God was calling her to religious life, she went to Sofala to begin her formation as a Missionary Sister of the Society of Mary. The following year she was received as a novice and took the name of Sr Malia Tominiko. Her first profession was on 16 July 1953.

After profession she was assigned to Villa Maria, Mata-Utu, where she gave service in the community and developed her culinary skills. On 16 July 1959, her last year there, she made her final commitment as an smsm. The following year she was sent to Mua (Logolelei) where she gave service in the community, took care of the sacristy as well as rendering services customary at that time for the priests. Two years later she was called to the Sofala community to be in charge of the workers.

Throughout her religious life, Sr Malia Tominiko lived an availability “to set out and set out again.” In 1963, she left Wallis for Futuna. Her five years there were spent between Sigave and Kolopelu. In both stations she gave service in the community and in the parish. In 1968 she was asked to go beyond her island homeland to New Caledonia where she made her second novitiate and had a holiday before beginning her new ministry in Thio, She later worked also in  Paita Mon Mou.

In 1971, she accepted to be missioned, again beyond her own country, this time to Vanuatu where she worked with the youth. However, two years later she was recalled to Wallis for community and parish services in Mua where she remained until 1978. From there she was again missioned to Futuna, but this time to Poi where she gave generously of her time and talents both for the sisters and the priest. In 1980, she left Poi for Sigave and later Kolopelu, where she experienced the bad earthquake of 1993. For her it was a traumatic experience that deeply affected her.

She returned definitively to Wallis that year on an army plane and was assigned to Sofala to rest and recuperate. In 1997, she was assigned to Mua where she engaged in community and parochial activities for the next five years. However, in 2002 she was transferred to the senior sisters’ community in Our Lady of Sofala, where she had the joy of celebrating her golden jubilee in 2003 and her diamond jubilee in 2013. In 2005, she suffered a serious illness and from then on her health progressively declined.

In 2012, Sr Malia Tominiko was hospitalised in Sia hospital but the doctors told her there was nothing more they could do for her. She accepted this in a spirit of faith and her companions in community say they never heard her complain about her painful condition. In the last two weeks of her life she grew weaker and weaker. When she could no longer go to the chapel, she waited with joy for the Lord to come to her. He alone was her strength. Despite her illness, she remained conscious until the end, very serene and peaceful. On the eve of the feast of St Dominic, her feast-day, she said to her nieces, who were with her together with Sr ‘Olivina: “Tomorrow will be a joyful feast”. It surely was, because on its eve at 8 pm, 7 August 2014 the Lord, whom she had loved and served so faithfully, came to take her to her true home.

Her sisters saw how much she suffered, serenely and even joyfully. She was a woman of faith, a prayerful woman, who had a great confidence in Mary. Sr ‘Olivina noticed that each time they prayed together, Sr Malia Tominiko loved to sing a certain hymn to Mary: « KOTEA HINA KUPU MALIA KAU FAI/ KOLE FAKAMOLEMOLE KI TAU TAMASII / MALIA TOKONI MAI KETA KAUTAHI ! OFA MALIA ! OFA ! OFA ![What can I do Mary? I ask forgiveness of your Son. Mary, help me and be with me, Mary. Ofa Malia! Ofa Malia!].

At the Requiem Mass, Fr Petelo Falelavaki emphasized her life of fidelity and the gift of herself to God until the end. She was a woman of great simplicity, dynamic and gifted, available for any service asked of her. A witness for all of us. Sr Malia Tominiko, thank you for your ‘YES,’ expressed throughout your life.

May God the Father and the Virgin Mary welcome you into Paradise. May you rest in peace.

Local Superiors