The cathedral at Suva, Fiji's capital, is to be finished. When that work has been achieved, the building will stand not only as a monument, architecturally, to the geniue of a notable priest-architect; but also, in a sense, as his memorial; indeed, it may be hoped that in some visible, tangible way, his memory will be preserved and handed down for future worshippers using the cathedral.
The architect of the cathedral, Pere Bourdier, was a priest who died early in the present year. Architecture was his profession before his decision, many years ago, to join a missionary order, following his wife's death. He planned many buildings: churches, schools, presbyteries, convents, but in Oceania his most important undertaking was Suva Cathedral. Owing, among other difficulties, to the want of qualified labour, the building has stood unfinished for thirty-five years. Fr. Bourdier's last work in life was the preparation of plans for its completion.