The Ethnic Communities Festival was a display of love and generosity that I’ve come to learn is a feature of this part of Auckland. 

16 communities came together to celebrate their cultures, and the diversity and unity that can be found in the Catholic Church. 22 different food stalls made sure that we were not hungry as we gathered in the sunshine at the Samoan Catholic Chaplaincy in Mangere.  The theme was Rise Up & Shine, and that was certainly a constant energy throughout the day. 

Almost straightaway I was invited to try a Sri Lankan Hopper, and it was incredibly good. Made of egg, coconut and rice flour, it comes with spiced caramelized onion. It was wonderful. There were plenty of other delights to taste. There were Brazilian, Filipino, Samoan and Tongan foods to try. As well as food there were also Chinese lanterns, Brazilian Rosaries, and of course, a coffee cart.  

People were selling their food and wares for their communities, looking out for those struggling in these hard economic times. Or they were raising funds for their Parish communities. I enjoyed an exquisite Filipino desert made of coconut, tapioca balls and the added flavour of a fruit called pandan while I listened to how the Filipino community looked out for each other, especially as many of them were immigrants. I know from personal experience how lonely life as an immigrant can be, and so it is important to find a way of belonging to a community. Being part of the Church can be a wonderful way to become part of a family, and there are Chaplaincies for many ethnic communities throughout New Zealand.  

After lunch, it was time for entertainment with a wonderful Cultural Show. Zumba provided an explosive way to open the show, and what followed was an enjoyable tour of the world.  I was able to capture it on video, so please click on the link to watch it here...  

The Mass held the following day, celebrated by Msgr Bernard Kiely, was also an amazing representation of the different cultures within the family of the Church. It was filmed and edited for Shine TV, and you can watch and edited version of the Mass on Shine’s website, if you subscribe to Shine. Otherwise, a longer version is available to watch HERE. 

 Below is a gallery of pictures that capture the colour and spirit of a fabulous day. A huge congratulations to the organisers Louisa Rani from the Diocese and Sia Maiava-Setefano from the Samoan Chaplaincy.  

Now in its third year, the Ethnic Communities Festival is an annual event that is going from strength to strength, so do yourself, your stomach, and your whanau a favour and look out for it next year!