Pope Francis appoints California priest to remote island post in Polynesia

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An aerial view of Tuvalu, an island nation in Polynesia, South Pacific Ocean, Oceania. | Credit: maloff/Shutterstock

Pope Francis on Monday appointed a California priest to a missionary post on a remote island in Polynesia.

Father Eliseo Napiere, the pastor of St. James the Less Parish in the Diocese of San Bernardino, California, will be taking up a new post as the head of the Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti on the island nation of Tuvalu.

Tuvalu is a small country made up of nine islands in the Pacific Ocean located about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It is the second least-populous country in the world after Vatican City, but unlike Vatican City, it has only about 100 Catholics and one parish, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives.

Once he relocates to Tuvalu, Napiere should not expect many visitors. Last year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization named Tuvalu as the least-visited country in the world, despite its vibrant coral reefs and white sand beaches.

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I am guessing Fr. Napier is pretty excited.

RileyG said:

Sounds like a beautiful island to visit!

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It really does.