The Government has approved a public holiday on 26 October 2025 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the appearance of a cross at the Free Wesleyan Church in Pangai, Ha‘apai.
Prime Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke announced the public holiday at a press conference last Friday, emphasising it is a one‑off commemoration marking the 50th anniversary.
Reportedly, the late Rev. Dr. Mohenoa Puloka recalled that on the morning of 26 October 1975, Rev. Kalavite ‘Uhila spotted a bright light and a cross-shaped outline embedded in the church grounds around 5.00am. Following the early church service, he shared the discovery with senior ministers, the Principal of Taufa‘āhau and Pilolevu College, and the congregation before they went outside the church to witness the mystery cross.
The cross measured approximately 10.2 m long by 7.1 m wide, with a one‑metre beam. The grass had turned “deep yellowish green” and the outline was later cemented to preserve it. Rev Puloka described it as “the only known and confirmed imprimatur cross delivered by angelic hosts from heaven.”
The phenomenon was swiftly reported to Free Wesleyan Church President, the late Rev Dr Sione ‘Amanaki Havea, who informed King Taufa‘āhau Tupou IV. The King visited the site about a week later and held a press conference, noting that the mysterious cross appeared where King Tupou I was baptised in 1831, confirming a covenant made in 1839: “God and Tonga are my heritage.”
Pangai is the administrative capital of Ha‘apai, located on Lifuka Island, with a population of around 1,000 residents
