ARCHBISHOP WINSTON HALAPUA
HONOURED AT CHURCH SERVICE
Archbishop Winston Halapua shed tears yesterday when he thanked all those at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral who had been with him during his eight years as Archbishop of Polynesia. Archbishop Halapua said he enjoyed every part of his journey.
He is one of the longest-serving Anglican bishops in the Pacific region and has been serving in the church for 52 years.
“I thank everyone who has worked with me in the mission of Jesus. The grace of God is great and I thank you from the bottom of my heart because I felt the support from all your prayers,” Archbishop Halapua said.
“This is my last sermon and this is where I was given the greatest honour of serving. Sue (his wife) and I will leave next month for Cambridge and will be there for 12 months.
“May you all work in courage because this is our time and the mission of Jesus goes on.” Archbishop Halapua said despite facing challenges, he was able to overcome them all.
“The people here are unique and we are so blessed. What we have here is something we cannot find in other parts of the world,” he said.
“The theme for today is ‘Thanksgiving’. We should give thanks to God. Family is important because without them we are nothing.” Belinda Homes, the wife of the Most Reverend Philip Richardson, thanked Archbishop Halapua’s wife for supporting the work of God.
“Sue and I share the privilege of being married to Archbishops of the Province of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. So I also know the cost of this, the absence of our part- ners, therefore the loneliness. Watching the deep tiredness of our partners and knowing that at times they face massive challenges in what they are dealing with,” Ms Homes said. “Sue has been a tremendous support to the Archbishop. I look upon Sue as my sister and I thank her for the love and friendship over many years.”