Passionist International Bulletin
Passionist International Bulletin
Passionist International Bulletin
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6<br />
The Curia Informs<br />
NEW<br />
MISSIONARY<br />
CHALLENGES<br />
Congress in Papua New Guinea (PNG)<br />
Not long after ordination I volunteered for the<br />
new <strong>Passionist</strong> Mission to be founded in Vanimo,<br />
Papua New Guinea, in the Pacific islands. I served<br />
there ten years, being the first missionary to<br />
live among the stone age people in the districts<br />
where I founded three missions. Those were the<br />
early days, full of enthusiasm, full of a hope to<br />
overcome all obstacles. We walked great distances<br />
over mountains and rivers; we planted the<br />
Christian community with practically no physical<br />
resources.<br />
Our buildings<br />
were made of<br />
sticks and leaves.<br />
We left behind<br />
schools, hospitals,<br />
churches<br />
and airfields.<br />
Last September<br />
I had the<br />
opportunity to go<br />
back, renewing<br />
my acquaintance<br />
with people in<br />
the villages<br />
where I was the<br />
first messenger<br />
of the Gospel 40<br />
years ago, Ossima,<br />
Wasengla and Kamberatoro. The reunions<br />
were both happy and sad. Happy to see old<br />
friends, sad to find that most of the people I knew<br />
have already died, and sad to see so many sick<br />
people, adults and children, sad to see so little<br />
progress in education, in health and development<br />
in those remote parts of the country, sad to see<br />
people in some villages discouraged and demoralized.<br />
It was sad too to see that our<br />
Congregation can no longer find enough missionaries<br />
to staff any of the inland parishes of<br />
Vanimo Diocese.<br />
I was present to see how deeply PNG affected<br />
The Superior General in Papua New Guinea<br />
Fr. Jefferies Foale, C.P.<br />
Father Ottaviano, our Superior General. He<br />
appeared to fall in love with the people and the<br />
country. He wanted to know why Papua New<br />
Guinea had been kept a secret for so long. I know<br />
that he gave much encouragement to our brethren<br />
there.<br />
I attended the Papua New Guinea Vicariate<br />
Congress in February. It is an interesting time for<br />
the Vicariate, as it faces many difficulties, but<br />
strong signs of hope too. There are sixteen religious<br />
serving in<br />
the Vicariate, two<br />
priests, two Brothers,<br />
a professed<br />
student and three<br />
novices from Papua<br />
New Guinea,<br />
two priests from<br />
Indonesia, one<br />
priest from the<br />
Philippines, and<br />
three Brothers<br />
and five priests<br />
from the mother<br />
Province in<br />
Australia and<br />
New Zealand.<br />
The new Regional<br />
Vicar is<br />
Father Tony Egar,<br />
First Consultor is Phil Smith and the Second<br />
Consultor is Valensius Son. Valensius is a missionary<br />
from Indonesia who has served two years<br />
in PNG.<br />
New Missionary Challenges<br />
While in Florida for a General Council meeting<br />
in January I was able to attend a meeting of<br />
the charitable trust, “St Paul de la Croix”, initiated<br />
by Theresa Luu. The trust has supported charitable<br />
works in Vietnam and other <strong>Passionist</strong><br />
projects. Father John Schork CP, Superior of the<br />
Harlem Avenue Community in Chicago, has joined<br />
the board, and together we hope to expand