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Home > Deceased Sisters > Sr. Malia Elisapeta Tapusoa (Matalena Tapusoa) - Date of Death 15/05/2025

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Sr. Malia Elisapeta Tapusoa (Matalena Tapusoa)

List of Deceased Sisters

Date of Death 15/05/2025

      Born:  26 March 1930

     Professed: 02 February 1955

     Died: 15 May 2025

 

This year 2025 is a very special year for Sr Malia Elisapeta:

On the 2nd of February we celebrated her 70 years as SMSM

ON 26th March we celebrated 95 years of her life

On 15th May we celebrated her entrance into eternal life.

 

Matalena Tapusoa aka Sister Malia Elisapeta Tapusoa was born on 26th March 1930, in Safotu Samoa. She was the 4th of 8 children of Ioane Tapusoa and Filisita Tautava Tapusoa.

She was raised from a family with strong commitment to the catholic faith and the Samoan cultural traditions. She was given the role of “Taupou” in the village, which means she would perform rituals or dances in the village customary events and seen as a role model for the young women.

Matalena left Safotu to begin her postulancy and novitiate formation in Moamoa, Upolu. On 2nd February 1955, she made her first religious profession at Moamoa, Samoa.

After profession she served as a primary teachers aid in our schools and also helped out in altar breads.

In 1961 Sr Malia Elisapeta was admitted to take her Final Religious Vows at Moamoa, and continued giving different services in the communities.

In 1971-1972 she took some formal education at St Mary’s College, Vaimoso.

In 1973 Elisapeta went to Fiji to study Home Economics at the South Pacific Commission, specialising in sewing and cooking.

Upon returning to Samoa, Sister started to give training in sewing and cooking to some groups. It did not take long before she was invited to give training to the different villages, in which she did in collaboration with other women’s group in the country.

Sister was well known and respected in Samoa for her dedication, commitment to the betterment of the women and families, despite the difficulties of travel and the lack of resources.

Her resilience, her gentleness and unassuming ways especially her love of the people who come to her for help are appreciated and admired by those whose lives she touched.

For most of her religious life, she was missioned to Samoa except for a couple of times she went for spiritual renewal in New Zealand and a stint to teach Home Economics at St Bedes school in Fiji.

Reflections from the Sisters who have lived with her in different communities spoke of Sr Malia Elisapeta as a person who has inspired them by her:

Love of the Congregation, and proud of being an smsm

Woman of faith and of prayer, quiet, loyal, and resilient.

Reliable and helpful in community

Loves her culture as evident in the way she acts and speaks and dances.

She stays quiet when she is upset or angry.

“Aware of our own poverty, we continually look to Mary, for help and renewed strength in all circumstances and at every stage o life.  With her we move forward in faith welcoming the unexpected certain in God’s guidance.  In fidelity to the spirit, we shall discover Mary’s way of loving and service so as to be a little of her presence in our world”. (Const #10)

In the last three years since I have lived with Sr Malia Elisapeta in community at Vailoa, her constant mantra day and night was

“Maria Tina Paia, sau ia ta o ua leva le po” (Mary, Holy Mother, come let us go, it is late in the night.)

On the 15th of May, Mary our Mother came to take her home to her heavenly resting place. 

May you rest in peace Peta.

 

Sr Jacinta Fidow smsm