Father Paulo Filoialii, of Christchurch, MNZM, for services to the Pacific community
Father Paulo Filoialii was the first Pacific Priest ordained in Rome, in 1990, and now leads Tongan and Fijian Catholic Churches in the lower South Island. He is the first Samoan and Pacific Priest to serve on the Board of Etu Pasifika, which provides a range of services for families including mental health, addictions and smoking cessation services. He engages with the Samoa Victim Support Group in Samoa and is Deputy Chair of the Fraternity of Samoan Ministers in Canterbury. He is the Chaplain for the Christchurch Women’s and Men’s Prison. Father Filoialii has helped coordinate provision of resources such as food and petrol to families during the COVID-19 pandemic.