Hela's Angels

Huli Wigmen preparing to lead the procession to the church.

Just got back from a ‘patrol’ through the Western Deanery of the Diocese of Mendi, which is made up of the Hela Province.  The predominant tribal group there are the Huli’s.  They are a strong and faithful people who are proud of their cultural heritage.  I would invite you to walk with me through the various steps of this journey… The limits and expense of our IT capabilities prevents me from sharing all of the pictures that I would like to… but I hope that the few that I am able to upload will give you a sense of our trip.  I was accompanined on this journey by Deacon Elias Zambra and lay missionary Anne Katrin Gleske from Germany.

Confirmation Class at Saint Francis Church, Tari

We set out from Mendi for the five hour roadtrip to Tari.  In Tari we joined in the celebration of the 60^th Anniversary of the first Holy Mass ever celebrated in the Tari side  of the diocese.  The first Mass was celebrated by Fr. Michelot, MSC who had come from the coast to explore the possibility of establishing the Church in the Highlands.  He was surprised to discover that there were large populations of people living in the Highlands and he determined that the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) would not be able to take on the additional mission.  It was then, after less than two years after the first Mass, that the mission of the Southern Highlands was entrusted to the Capuchin-Franciscan Friars of the Saint Augustine Province, Pittsburgh, PA  USA.  The Capuchins have been in Tari ever since.  They have served tirelessly for almost 60 years in the Southern Highlands and now in the Hela Province to announce the Good News of Jesus.

Confirmation Class at Tari Secondary School

We then set out for Saint Joseph Tari Secondary School (TSS) to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The faculty and students warmly welcomed us and participated in a Spirit-filled liturgy. Mr Clive Yemini is the principal.  The FCC Sisters (Sr. Jasmine and Sr Sophy) also serve at the school.  The Mass was celebrated on Saint Francis Day, which provided an extra layer of joy and meaning to the celebration.

Confirmation Class at Saint Conrad Parish, Pureni

After Tari Secondary School we headed to Saint Conrad Parish in Pureni for the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Parish is also served by the Capuchin Franciscans of the Custody of PNG/SI.  We were privileged to have Father Jonathan Williams, OFM Cap., Custodian of the Capuchins present for the celebration.  At the Mass, Fr Jonathan proposed Capuchin Fr. Maneesh Mathew, OFM Cap., to serve as as the new parish priest and I, as bishop joyfully appointed him to that very important ministry.  The people were very happy with the appointment.

 Father Jonathan Williams, OFM Cap., congratulates Fr Maneesh Mathew, OFM Cap.,
at having been named parish priest of Saint Conrad Parish, Pureni.

Lay Missionary Anne Katrin Gleske (Anna) with Robert (l) and Peter (r) who were the altar servers at the Confirmation Mass.  Anna is not in many photos, because she was usually the one taking the pictures.

After Pureni we took the road toward Hungi, which is a pastoral area served by the Capuchins.  At present there is not a full-time priest assigned, but Father Paul Patlo, OFM Cap., is looking after the pastoral area until a full-time priest will be assigned there.  We went to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at a mountaintop outstation named after PNG’s own Blessed Peter ToRot – and at the Hungi mainstation named after Saint Anthony.  We arrived and were greeted by an enthusiastic group of parishioners who had gathered.  We celebrated Holy Mass with the people and then had a peaceful evening.  

Entrance procession for opening Mass in Hungi

Early the next morning we were off on foot (though wings would have been more appropriate) as we climbed the mountain bushtrack to Timugu.  The climb was VERY steep and a bit strenuous for those of us who were not used to it.  However, the  local people ascended with ease.  I was amazed to see people of every age making the climb appear to be a ‘walk in the park’.  I needed to stop a few times to catch my breath – but my companions were very understanding.  At Timugu we also celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with the young people.

Do I look like I just climbed a mountain?

Leading the way to the Church.

Speaking to the people after Mass.  Catechist Thomas must translate.

I was touched by our trip to Hungi and Timugu.  In each place the leaders pleaded with me to help them.  There are no schools in the area and no adequate health care.  The government has forgotten them.  Here, the people speak only Huli, their Mother-tongue.  They have no way of learning Pidgin ... and so, my homily and any words that I speak to them must be translated into Huli by the catechist. Pray that I can work with the 'powers that be' to help bring needed services to these wonderful people.

Long dispela mak hia, kisim Holi Spirit God Papa i givim long yu!
(Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit!)

After the Confirmation, and a traditional meal (mumu) we began our descent again toward Hungi.  I was thankful that the rain held off until the end of the journey.  The path would have been treacherous for us trying to deal with running water and mud!  There were faithful guides to help us every step of the way.

After a good night's rest, we got up and prepared for the Sacrament of Confirmation with the people of the main station at Hungi.

Confirmation class at Hungi.

As you can see from this trip, an important part of the ministry of a bishop is celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with the young people of the diocese.  I have to confess, it is among the most enjoyable things that I do.  It has also given me the opportunity to reflect more on the profound work of the Holy Spirit who continues building up the Church in every age with a marvellous outpouring of gifts and charisms.

After the Holy Mass we packed up the car and hit the dusty and bumpy road toward Hedmari... where once again, we were greeted by the enthusiastic parishioners.

Parishioners of Hedmari welcoming us.

Fr Joice Packel, CST is the parish priest of the Hedmari Pastoral Area.  He is from Kerala, India.  He belongs to the Congregation of Saint Therese.  We were invited to come and bless a new grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary which the parishioners had built.  The devotion to ‘Mama Maria’ among the Catholics in Papua New Guinea is very strong and inspiring.

After the blessing of the grotto, we prepared to head back to Tari where I had a meeting of the TSS Board of Governors... after which we began our trip back to Mendi.  It was a journey that brought graces and blessings at every turn.  Thanks for coming along!  See you next time.

Culture Shines in Legion of Mary's Traditional "Mumu"

No it's not a bush fire - or at least the kind you may be thinking.  The Legion of Mary is celebrating it's Silver Jubilee in the Diocese of Mendi, Papua New Guinea (PNG).  It is a five day celebration, filled with prayer, fellowship, formation and fun!  Today, they celebrated a traditional meal called 'mumu'.  I would like to take you through the steps of this customary way of preparing this special meal.

The main dish is pork.  Pigs represent an important part of the cultures of PNG.  They are a sign of wealth and status.  The pigs used in today's mumu were humanely slaughtered in the early hours of the morning, when some of the other preparations were being made.

Firewood has to be cut and split (by hand) and gathered.  The mumu pit has to be dug (by hand).  Everyone has a part to play.

The mumu pit is dug and the firewood is positioned as in the above photo.  The wood is often taken from a kind of bush tree that burns even when a bit wet!  That's a good thing in the Southern Highlands where it rains every day!

When the fire is raging, river stones are placed in the fire.  These stones are the key to the whole process.  The stones will hold the heat and cook the pork and assorted greens and vegetables that are cooked in the juices!

Before the pigs are 'operated on', that is, cut up and readied for cooking.  The hair of the (dead) pig is removed as shown above.

Many pigs were used in this mumu.  Each culture in PNG has their own particular way of cutting up and preparing the meat for the mumu.  The atmosphere is festive.  This doesn't happen every day!  Some of the meat will be shared and eaten at the celebration today.  Some of the meat is given to people who have contributed to the celebration or others in exchange as a way of strengthening bonds of interdependence.  There is importance attached to the various cuts of meat.  Certain cuts would only go to very important people... other cuts to people in more horizontal relationships.  Needless to say, nothing is wasted!

Some parts of the pig are prepared by boiling.  Everyone gets in on the act.

After the stones are heated and the firewood is consumed, the meat, greens and vegetables are placed in the pit... and the whole thing is covered with earth and banana leaves and is allowed to cook in this earthen oven for several hours.  The stones hold the heat so well, that even if it rains, the food is still cooked to perfection.

I can speak from experience ... It's finger-licking good!

Happy Silver Jubilee to the Legion of Mary in the Diocese of Mendi, Papua New Guinea.

The Work of the Church

A few days ago, I completed a spiritual retreat at Rocca di Papa, a small town in the Alban Hills outside Rome.  The retreat was conducted by members of The Work of the Church (Obra de la Iglesia) - a religious movement that I am associated with.  I'd like to share a few photos from this very moving experience.

I arrived in Rome a day or so early, so that I would have the chance to attending the General Audience in Saint Peter's Square.  I had the joy of being close to Pope Francis during the Audience and meeting him briefly afterward.  In the Audience, the Holy Father spoke about the importance of belonging to the Church.  He said that "Christians are not hatched in the laboratory", but rather are members of a family, a community.  He also said that it is absurd to think that one can have a true and authentic relationship with Christ, but not belong to the Church... because it is in the Church where that relationship with Christ can be fostered and strengthened.

Above you can see beautiful Lake Albano, not very far from where I had the retreat.  Castel Gondolfo is also not far.  The lake was so calm and reflected the sky so perfectly... for a  minute, I didn't know if I was looking up or down!

During the retreat I prayed for the grace of contemplation from Mary.  Scripture tells us that Mary reflected on the mysteries of the life of her Son Jesus in her heart.  She can teach all of us important lessons about keeping Jesus present and before our hearts and minds.

I spent much time in the chapel, praying for family and friends (like you!)  My eyes often drifted between the Tabernacle and the Crucifix that are in the Chapel.  In both cases, the love of Jesus is overwhelming for us.  The Body of Christ, broken and given for us on the Cross is the same Christ who is present really, truly present to us in the Holy Eucharist.  When we pray before the Eucharist in our churches, we are not in the presence of a 'thing' but of a Divine Person, a Friend and Brother who has spared  nothing to share with us the Mercy and Compassion of God.  How can we look into the eyes of Jesus (in prayer) and then turn our back on Him?  If you need to experience peace in your heart, go and spend some quiet moments with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  You don't have to say much... Just being in the presence of the Lord will heal your soul and strengthen your spirit.

I arrived on the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart.  From my childhood I had a great devotion to Jesus under this title.  I was blessed to have served many years in Washington, DC at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart - especially with the Latino community there.  "Jesus, meek and humble of hearts, make our hearts like unto Thine!"

The weather was beautiful and so were the grounds of Casa San Paolo where I attended the retreat.  The splendour and beauty of nature can raise our hearts and minds to our Creator.

At the end of the retreat we had a special closing Mass with members of The Work of the Church:

This ecclesial institution of Pontifical Right was founding in 1959 by Mother Trinidad of the Holy Mother Church, a saintly Spanish woman who was chosen by God for this important work.  I would invite you to investigate more about this wonderful charism which God has given to the Church.  There is information (in several languages) available here.

Franciscan Sisters of Mary Novices Profess Vows

In the last days of March, four novices of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary professed their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in a joyful celebration that was held at Saint Felix of Cantalice Parish in Pangia, Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.  The Franciscan Sisters of Mary are a community founded in the Diocese of Mendi.  Sisters are involved in various ministries throughout the diocese: health care, teaching, pastoral work, etc...  Let us give thanks for God's gift of consecrated religious life in the Church... and as always, let us pray for an increase of vocations in the church to the priesthood, consecrated religious life and committed lay ministers.  Congratulations Sisters!

Before and After: The Ordination of a Deacon

As Lent was getting started this year, the church in Diocese of Mendi celebrated the diaconate ordination of Elias Zambra.  Last year he finished his seminary studies at the Catholic Theological Institute in Port Moresby.  The ordination mass was a reverent celebration of faith and culture.  Deacon Elias' family made the long journey from Madang to be with him for the celebration.

In a moving moment of the ceremony, Deacon Elias' family presented him to the bishop.  He and many of his family members were dressed in their traditional attire.  He then reverently removed the traditional attire and was vested in the clothing of a deacon to mark his new role within the Catholic community.  Deacons, from the days of the New Testament are important collaborators with bishops and priests in the generous service of the People of God.

Deacon Elias will serve the Diocese of Mendi as a deacon in the Lower Mendi Pastoral Area.  He will also teach in the Blessed Peter ToRot Catechist Training School in Mendi.  We welcome Deacon Elias to this ministry of service and we ask all to continue to pray for vocations.

Catching Up

Dear Friends, it's been a while since I've been able to post anything to the blog (and Facebook and Google+ too due to technical difficulties in Mendi (and because connection to the Internet here can be very expensive)), but I am now in Port Moresby with free access and therefore I want to catch up a bit on some things that have been going on here in Mendi.

In mid-January, a team of Jesus Youth from Australia came to Mendi for two weeks.  The first week, they had a missionary immersion experience in various parts of the diocese.  The second week, they divided into two teams, one team went to the Western Deanery and the other team stayed in Mendi.  Both teams conducted retreats with young people.  The young people responded enthusiastically to the singing, praising and preaching of the Jesus Youth teams.  The Jesus Youth plans on returning later in the year to do a follow-up retreat.  (Pictured are members of the Jesus Youth teams and some youth leaders from the diocese.)

Diocesan Pastoral Council.  Representatives from each parish and pastoral area in the diocese met in Mendi at the end of January for a meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council.  Each Councillor presented a report on what is going on in their parish, paying special attention this year to what the parish is doing in the area of self-reliance.  It also gives the bishop a chance to share with all of these leaders the pastoral priorities for the coming year.  The four-day meeting ended with a festive Sunday Mass with the parishioners of the Cathedral.

Then in March, there was a meeting of the Priest Senate in Mendi.  All of the priests who are serving in the diocese come together three times a year to share ideas and experiences and to do pastoral planning. Priests, Sisters and lay ministers (such as catechists) are the right-hands of the bishops in the work of evangelization and caring for the People of God.  In the Diocese of Mendi, only one-third of the priests are local PNG diocesan priests... the other two-thirds are missionaries from other countries - Poland, Korea, India and the USA.  Please join us in praying for vocations.

At the same time, the Legion of Mary of the Diocese was meeting in Mendi.  The members had just renewed their promise and commitment to be zealous apostles in the Legion of Mary.  The Legion is a wonderful movement of lay men and women whose spirituality combines prayer and apostolic service.

All of these groups in the Diocese of Mendi work together to strengthen the faith and to spread the Good News of Jesus to all corners of the diocese.