The historic Naililili Cathedral in Rewa — a landmark of Fiji’s Catholic heritage first opened in 1901 — is in urgent need of restoration after decades of storm damage, flooding and accelerating decay, a close inspection of the site shows.
A reporter who visited the church via the Ro Banuve jetty from Nasali Landing was taken on a 360-degree tour by village catechist Rusiate Tuinacau and parish volunteers cleaning the compound. What they found was extensive exterior erosion: large portions of the plaster that once bonded the coral limestone blocks have been chiselled away by rain and floodwaters, leaving the stone exposed, deep cracks running through the masonry and sections of outer walls crumbling.
Poor drainage and blocked gutters have worsened the problem, allowing water to seep into vulnerable parts of the building and accelerate deterioration. The cathedral’s two bell towers are now off-limits after the wooden internal structures that house the bell and clock began to disintegrate and rot from prolonged water intrusion. An internal wooden stair once used for sightseeing in the left tower has been cordoned off because it is unstable. Mr Tuinacau said the towers originally had roofs, but those were destroyed by tropical cyclones, leaving them more exposed to the elements.
The visit also documented how flooding over the years has altered the cathedral’s relationship to the Rewa River. Silt and mud have built up on the riverbank to the point that the cathedral now sits almost level with the water — a dramatic change from its original setting. “When it was first opened, you had to climb from the riverbank up to the church,” Mr Tuinacau recalled. That rise in the riverbank has increased the risk of flood damage to lower walls and the foundation during prolonged rains common to the Rewa climate.
The interior retains much of its historic character — stained-glass windows depicting saints and Christ and ornate ceilings remain — but the building bears clear scars from wind and water. Some windows and ceiling boards show damage believed to be the result of years of leaks. The cathedral’s decorative stone eagles, waterspouts designed to channel rain away from vulnerable roof edges and credited to a mid-20th-century restoration, are clogged or degraded in places, diverting water to other roof areas where it has penetrated the stone and delicate timber.
That restoration work was led by Father Paul Coquereau, who served as local priest in the 1960s and 1970s and oversaw a significant interior facelift and the installation of the carved waterspouts at each tower corner. The new assessment underscores that structures and improvements from that era now need renewed attention to protect the building’s fabric.
This report follows recent coverage in the Discovering Fiji series that explored Reverend Father Emmanuel Rougier’s role in the cathedral’s history and the church’s broader cultural importance. The latest findings shift the focus from heritage and history to the cathedral’s present peril: a combination of climate-driven storms, recurring flooding and maintenance challenges threaten not only artworks and architecture but also the safety of visitors and parishioners.
Parish volunteers continue daily clean-up and caretaking, but the scale of erosion, rotten timber in the towers, blocked drainage and proximity to the river point to a restoration task that will require technical conservation planning and resources beyond what the local community can manage alone. The cathedral remains a powerful symbol of Catholicism in Fiji — its condition now a visible barometer of how climate impacts and time are reshaping the country’s built heritage.
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