The Churches of Moorea & Tahiti
We spent almost two months on Moorea, with two trips to Tahiti. The churches were what I kept photographing.
We spent almost two months on Moorea, with two trips to Tahiti. The churches were what I kept photographing.
They're everywhere: beside lagoons, at the foot of volcanic peaks, and tucked into small villages. Some are painted in soft pastels; others are plain concrete or built from coral stone. Against the vivid greens and blues of French Polynesia, they stand out.
Christianity arrived in Tahiti in 1797 with missionaries from the London Missionary Society, followed several decades later by French Catholic missionaries. Their influence is still visible throughout the islands, churches sit alongside older Polynesian beliefs, traditions, and a deep connection to land and sea that continue to shape island life today.
Most of these photographs were taken during the week, when the churches were quiet and often empty. Sunday was different. I heard the hymns before I saw the buildings. Families arrived dressed for church, the women wearing beautifully woven hats and vibrant dresses, their voices carrying long after the service had ended.
What fascinated me wasn't the architecture alone. The churches are a reminder that French Polynesia's history is more layered than the tropical paradise many of us imagine. They speak of missionaries, colonial influence, and profound cultural change, a history that is complicated but also real and present.