 In 1842, the vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania was created comprising New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji.A later subdivision, reduced the vicariate to include only Tonga, the Wallis Islands, Futuna, and Niué.St Peter Chanel, was made the superior of a band of Marist missionaries that set out on 24 December 1836 from France.