The churches of Wallis are led by the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Mata'Utu, built from 1952 to 1959 in blue volcanic stone with two towers and a Maltese cross. About 99% of the population is Catholic, and village chapels are part of daily life. Visitors should remove hats in churches and dress appropriately.
Things to do ·
Churches of Wallis: Cathedral, Chapels and How to Visit
The churches of Wallis: the blue-stone Mata-Utu cathedral, Vaitupu, Lano, Lausikula and more, with notes on dress and visiting during services.
01
Mata'Utu cathedral
The cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption stands in Mata'Utu, the capital and main port of Wallis, and the diocese has its seat there. It was built between 1952 and 1959 in blue volcanic stone, with two towers and a Maltese cross, and a royal tomb lies inside. Queen Amelia, who reigned from 1869 to 1895, converted to Catholicism and had a royal palace and a cathedral built at the capital, so a church has stood at the heart of Mata'Utu for a long time.
If you are searching for Mata-Utu cathedral or Our Lady of Wallis Cathedral, this is the building. It is the natural first stop on a coastal drive round Wallis, which is about 35 km.
02
Older churches and chapels
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul at Vaitupu is a stone church built in 1865 and 1866. The Lano Chapel at Alele was blessed in August 1877 and has a roof decorated with tapa panels, which is one of the details that makes Wallis church architecture distinctive.
Saint Joseph's church at Mala'efo'ou, the chief town of Mua district, has colourful interiors and marks the cradle of evangelisation on the island.
03
Chapels with a story
The Chapel of Saint Bernadette at Lausikula was rebuilt after cyclone damage (Cyclone Evan, 2012) and blessed on 26 September 2014. On Mount Holo you will find the island's only Carmelite convent chapel, moved there in October 2005, with about a dozen nuns.
The Kalevalio landing place at Kolopopo marks where the first missionaries landed in 1837, and a cross was raised there in 1887 for the 50th anniversary. A pilgrimage takes place on 28 August at the Chanel chapel on Mont Mauga at Kolopopo.
04
Village chapels you may pass
The board's churches page speaks of "a hundred places of worship", but that is promotional wording rather than an official count, so expect many chapels without expecting a number.
Our records do not give opening hours for individual churches, so do not assume a chapel will be open. Ask your host or the Territorial Department of Cultural Affairs, which is the body to approach for advice about customs.
05
Visiting, dress and feast days
Visitors should remove hats in churches and dress appropriately. Guide advice, which you should confirm locally, is to cover shoulders and knees at church and to cover swimwear near villages. Feast days and large occasions always include mass, and a major religious feast follows the pattern of mass, then kava, then katoaga gift-sharing, then dances.
If you attend, stay at the back, switch your phone to silent and follow what others do. The Assumption festival on 15 August features dancers, and 28 April, Saint Pierre Chanel's day, is a public holiday. The pilgrimage that day goes to Poi, on Futuna, where the basilica holds two silver reliquaries with Saint Pierre Chanel's skull and bones.
06
Beyond Wallis
On Futuna, churches include Ono (Our Lady of Seven Sorrows) and Nuku (Saint Joseph), and the chapel at Vilamalia is Notre Dame de Lourdes. On Alofi, Loka Cave is a pilgrimage site for Futunans and a source of fresh water, blessed on 3 December 1952, with a statue of the Virgin and an altar. Its pilgrimage is on 11 February.
Questions people ask.
- What is the main church on Wallis?
- The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Mata'Utu, built from 1952 to 1959 in blue volcanic stone with two towers and a Maltese cross. The diocese has its seat there.
- What should I wear to church in Wallis?
- Remove hats and dress appropriately. Guide advice, to be confirmed locally, is to cover shoulders and knees.
- Can visitors attend mass?
- Feast days and large occasions always include mass. Attend respectfully and ask your host or the Territorial Department of Cultural Affairs for advice on customs.
- How many churches are there on Wallis?
- The tourism board speaks of a hundred places of worship, but that is promotional wording, not an official count.
Stay on the islands with IMPT.
IMPT (impt.io) is the booking platform behind this site: 8 million hotels and apartments across 195 countries, including the Pacific neighbours of Wallis & Futuna. Stays on Wallis and Futuna themselves are arranged by enquiry with each host. Every stay booked through IMPT supports climate action through the IMPT Climate Contribution programme.
Read next.
The invitation starts here
Be part of the
next chapter.
Join the waitlist First access to stays, routes and launch news.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.