Community
Sister Maria Elisapeta celebrates 70 years service as a SMSM Nun
By Lagi Keresoma/
Apia, Samoa – 12 February 2025 – The Sisters Missionary of Society of Mary (SMSM) at Vailoa last week celebrated the 70 years since 94-year-old Sister Maria Elisapeta Tapusoa served as a nun.
Among the family and friends gathered for the celebration were her nieces and nephews, former students and the elderly retired SMSM sisters residing at the Vailoa residence.
She was described as a woman of many talents but perhaps what stood out was her contribution as a pioneer in introducing and teaching Home Economics to help families within church women groups, schools and the wider community.
She paved the pathway for women in all walks of life in learning about sewing, baking and cooking.
Not many people knew but during the celebration, there were testimonies from her former students that Sr. Elisapeta was responsible for coining the Samoan description “Tu Ma Aga Feso’otai” to describe the home economics program and it is now used to define one of the core functions of the Ministry of Women and Social Development.
According to Father Lui Sanele, Sr. Elisapeta She loves to dance, has a mind of her own and has the look that could kill just by staring at you.
Sr. Elisapeta was born on 23 March 1930 and a few weeks away from turning 95.
Her birth name was Matalena Tapusoa but changed her name to Maria Elisapeta when she became a nun.
Her parents were Tapusoa Faavaluloi and Tautava both of Safotu, Savai’i. She had one sister and 5 brothers and was the fourth child and the sole survivor of the siblings.
Sr. Maria Elisapeta with her nephews and niece.
Calling to serve the church
At the age of 20, she decided to serve the church and one of her nephews, Galumalemana Vainu’u Tapusoa described the scene on the day Elisapeta left Safotu to pursue her service as a nun.
It was 1952 and after the morning mass, the church choir and members of the Safotu community walked towards the beach singing a farewell song for Matalena,
“It was a big thing. I was 7 years old, and I remember the excitement that day as I stood on the beach next to Sr. Elisapeta’s father,” said Tapusoa.
“It was an emotional moment as everyone said their goodbyes.”
There was no wharf, and so the vessel was anchored outside the reef and a barge was used to transport the passengers from land to the vessel.
“Matalena was accompanied by her brother on the barge to the vessel. As the barge left the shore, Matalena just sat motionlessly looking out to the open sea, and she never looked back as the villagers were waving and calling out goodbye,” Tapusoa explained.
He said his family knew that they will never see Matalena again.
85-year-old Sr Maria Losalia Mulipola cutting cake for Sr. Elisapeta Tapusoa.
Formative training as a nun
Matalena was then placed under supervision and formative training as a nun at Moamoa for three years.
At that time, she was still in contact with her family and at one time, was called to lead the ta’alolo at one of the district cultural events.
This event was documented by Sr. Victoria who compiled the profile of the elderly nun’s life at SMSM.
Sr. Victoria said she remembered that particular event because something unusual happened.
It was early morning and still dark. As the taupou wearing the tuiga and costumes, Elisapeta was at the front of the group walking, singing and dancing and following her. As the group came to near the church, the church bell rang signalling time for early morning prayers.
“Elisapeta immediately stopped and stood still; and so followed the confused group behind her. Then she performed the sign of the cross and a little prayer, before she continued.”
Some of the family, guests at Sr. Maria Elisapeta’s 70th anniversary as a nun.
Ordained a nun
On 2nd February 1955, Matalena was ordained a nun, took her vocational vows and a change of name from Matalena to Sr. Maria Elisapeta Tapusoa.
She served at Momoa before moving to Fiji for further training and served at one of the Catholic missions there.
She returned and continued to serve at various missions around Samoa and introduced the Home Economics Program to provide training in sewing, cooking and budgeting for basic family expenses.
That program took her and her students to conduct sewing, cooking and baking training at the Malua and Piula Theological College, several schools and later extended to the wider community.
One of her students, Maria Iuta Keresoma, is continuing the program to date. She explained that when they started the program in the community, Sr. Elisapeta decided to give the program an identity and named it to the “Tu ma Aga Fesootai”
That Samoan name is now the description of the current Ministry of Women and Social Development.
Sr. Elisapeta later served in New Zealand at the Whangarei mission where she celebrated 50 years of service as a nun.
According to Galumalemana, it was also the first time he saw Sr. Elisapeta since she left Safotu in 1952.
She returned to Samoa after her mission in New Zealand and continued the Home Economics program at the Moamoa Theological College until her retirement.
She now serves as prayer warrior with other elderly SMSM nuns at the Vailoa residence. Short of 95 years, Elisapeta is the second oldest surviving nun at the residence, with the oldest at 101 years old.