May 20, 2026,
Photo: Pacific Islands Greek Orthodox Church
The first indigenous Fijian Orthodox priest, Fr. Bartholomew Senibulu, reposed in the Lord on April 25, after serving many years in parishes in Fiji and the Kingdom of Tonga.
The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity published a memorial tribute to Fr. Bartholomew on May 13, written by Reader Amphilochios Ratu Buatabataba, a theology student at St. Andrew’s Theological College in Sydney.
Fr. Bartholomew was ordained as a deacon at the Holy Monastery of the Archangels of Tharri in Rhodes, and as a priest in Thessaloniki, by the recently departed Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of New Zealand. He served for 17 years in various parishes in Fiji and later in the mission of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Rdr. Amphilochios first encountered Fr. Bartholomew as a 15-year-old living near the church. “That first real meeting with Fr. Bartholomew took place on a Saturday evening, when I saw him walking toward our house with a warm and gentle smile, inviting us to attend Divine Liturgy at the Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos,” he writes. “I was immediately struck by the fact that he was an indigenous Fijian Orthodox priest.”
The author describes Fr. Bartholomew as “a man in whom gentleness and seriousness met.” He recalls the priest’s attention to detail in Church matters and his frequent admonition: “When you do something, do it in the best way possible.”
In one of their final conversations earlier this year, Fr. Bartholomew reminded the author “to encourage the young children of the Church to remain faithful and to try to live according to what the Church teaches.”
According to Metropolitan Myron, who visited Fr. Bartholomew at his home on April 22, the priest reported hearing the sweet chanting of “O Pure Virgin,” the hymn to the Mother of God, in the early morning hours. He then heard a voice telling him: “Don’t worry. You’re already healed. You will rise and walk again.”
Fr. Bartholomew passed away three days later, on April 25, surrounded by prayer.
“Today we commemorate Fr. Bartholomew as a humble and faithful servant of Christ, who served the Church for many years,” Rdr. Amphilochios writes.
The author expresses hope that younger generations will build upon the foundation Fr. Bartholomew established. “May Orthodoxy continue to flourish in Fiji and may the example of Fr. Bartholomew continue to inspire and guide all those who labor for the Church,” he writes.
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