'Missionaries working to share Gospel teaching' - Bishop Meli on Pope's visit to Vanimo

By Bishop Francis Meli

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vanimo is located in the beautiful landscapes of Papua New Guinea and is an important part of the Latin-rite Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madang. It was established as an Apostolic Vicariate in 1963 and later gained diocesan status in 1966.

Throughout the years, the organization has been led by esteemed figures, members of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, such as Bishops Emeritus Paschal Sweeney, CP (25 January 1967 - 22 September 1979), John Etheridge, CP (12 August 1980 - 7 February 1989), Father David Wilkie, CP, Apostolic Administrator (1989–21 December 1991), and Cesare Bonivento, PIME, the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (24 May 1992 - 5 February 2018).

The Catholic missionaries’ history in the Vanimo area dates back to 1903, when they embarked on their humble journey. Over the years, their unwavering dedication led to remarkable achievements, such as constructing the area’s inaugural church in 1940 and procuring their first mission aircraft in June 1965, which was instrumental in bolstering their outreach to remote inland communities.

Between 1955 and 1993, the arrival of Passionist missionaries and several lay missionaries led to the establishment of missions in the border areas of Wasengla and Kamberatoro, as well as in inland areas of Ossima and Utai, and coastal areas of Laitre.

These missionaries placed significant emphasis on providing education and healthcare at every mission station they established, demonstrating great passion for their work of evangelization and mission in Vanimo.

The diocese faces many challenges today. As of 2024, many parishes still lack basic facilities such as electricity, mobile network coverage, and road access. Basic infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and transport is lacking, especially in the remotest inland parishes.

The priests are willing to sacrifice their comforts to travel difficult paths to celebrate the liturgy, administer sacraments, and care for the sick and dying, giving their utmost for the mission.

However, a limited number of local clergy is a significant challenge in the diocese of Vanimo due to the lack of clergy to serve in all 22 parishes.

At the same time, in the area of evangelization, the Church in Vanimo places a lot of attention on the renewal of faith and conversion of heart and mind, and on dialogue with other brother churches in the province.

The formation and promotion of vocation to the priesthood and religious life, with a strong sense of unity among priests, religious and laity, is another key point of the diocese’s work. Another point is teaching and instruction on Church teachings, and catechesis for children and adults, including in our Catholic schools.

Most of our parishes and mission stations have educational institutions with both elementary and primary schools, as well as fully-equipped health centres. These facilities support our efforts to provide pastoral care.

In the areas of health and education, the provincial government works well with Church personnel in delivering health care to people in the most remote places.

We have dedicated missionaries from different parts of the world, along with local priests and catechists, all working together to share the Gospel teachings.

For instance, thanks to Burma missionary priests, other missionary priests, and local priests, significant progress has been made in reaching out to people living in remote areas such as the mountainous regions of Telefomin, the Sepik Rivers, and the inland areas of the Green Islands.

Spiritual and logistical preparations are underway for Pope Francis’ visit on September 8. In fact, several committees, including those for hospitality and landscaping, have been organizing the papal visit for some time.

Daily prayers, which are being translated into the second national language (Pidgin) are part of the spiritual preparation. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is encouraged once a week, on Thursdays, and public awareness activities are being organized to educate the communities about the office of the successor of Peter in sacred scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church, extending to primary and secondary schools. The Catholic community of Vanimo is also offering material support to the diocese.

It is my prayer that the visit of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, will bring renewed fervour to all Catholics and multi-denominational churches in the Province of West Sepik, that they may be united in faith and mission, especially in this most challenging of times.