The plane that never came

The plane that never came

 

Patrick Matbob

Remains of the plane.

14 October 2011

 At around 4pm on Thursday afternoon, a Divine Word University bus headed out to the airport to await the Airlines PNG plane that would arrive from Lae. On the bus were students who were expecting their parents and relatives coming to attend the University’s missioning ceremony.

In the ceremony, graduating students are missioned and a DWU mission cross is given to each one as they leave the University to pursue their chosen careers.  It is a time of thanksgiving especially organized by the graduating students for their parents, sponsors and all those who have supported them in their studies. The event has been held in the last two years.

As the students and other passengers waited for the plane, the town was hit by a sudden violent storm. Strong gusts of wind sprayed the rain all around as people scrambled around looking for shelter. Such storms are not unusual in Madang.

As the hours ticked by, and the scheduled Air Niugini F100 flight landed and took off for Wewak for the night, there was no great apprehension about the delayed flight. Flight delays are experienced daily in PNG.

However, as a DWU staff member recalled, while they were waiting outside, the Air Niugini air traffic officers suddenly rushed out of their offices.

“We were alarmed and thought there was a hold-up,” he said. However, soon they learnt the shocking news that the Airlines PNG flight they were waiting for had crashed. They were told the location was somewhere at Gogol River south of the town.

Stunned by the news, the students’ first reaction was to get to the site to see for themselves. Gogol River is accessible at two points – along the Lae-Madang highway and further into the mountains at Transgogol. The students travelled up as far as the Gogol bridge but could not see anything. They returned eventually to the University.

Soon information started filtering in about the crash. The locals had become familiar with the Airlines PNG aircraft that had recently made Madang airport its home, departing at 6:30am and returning in the afternoons. Madang disaster office, the police, and other relevant officers were eventually informed and they scrambled in the wet evening to ascertain what had happened and how to respond.

As it became clear that the crash site was further south of Madang, attempts were made to access the area by road. However, the storm that afternoon had caused flooding in the fast flowing rivers that run off the rugged Finisterre range and the road became impassable.

Several boats, one from the Madang Resort, the Ramu Nico ferry, and a couple of private vessels left in the night police and rescue people for the site.

The six students whose parents were on the plane gathered outside the Arnold Janssen hall that night anxiously awaiting further news. As the night progressed, conflicting information began coming in from various sources including those who had travelled to the site. It was painful for everyone, especially the students, who kept hoping for some positive news. As it got later, it was apparent that the news was not good.

Just before midnight, a body was brought in from the crash site and those who could, rushed up to the hospital. The security was tight and no one was allowed into the outpatient area where the body was placed. An identification of the body was made and the relatives of the dead person were informed. However, when the relatives inspected the charred remains, they confirmed it was not the person that was identified. The rest of the night was spent in sorrow and grief until morning.

The University Missioning ceremony proceeded as planned but in a somber atmosphere with the victims being remembered in the mass. The papal nuncio (pope’s ambassador) led the mass.

 

At 8:30am today, DWU President Fr Jan Czuba said a special mass for the victims.  Meanwhile, the university has erected a ‘haus krai’ where staff and students are gathering to comfort one another over the tragedy.

Holy Spirit Missionaries in New Guinea

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters in New Guinea

By Patrick Matbob
January 2001

Sisters Mary Linda Krems, Josefine Pircher and

Raphaele Venhoff celebrating their Golden jubilee.

Four Holy Spirit Missionary sisters (SSpS) were the first to arrive on mainland New Guinea on March 26, 1899. They were sisters Ursula Sensen, Fridolina Voekt (superior), Valeria Dietzen and Martha Sieferding all from Germany. All four were teachers and only one was over 35 years of age.
They came in response to a call for help from the first six Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) to the South Seas, who arrived on Tumleo Island three years previously. The SVD missionaries needed help to bring the Good News to the local women.
Wrote Sr Valeria Dietzen to Mother Maria Helena Stollenwerk; "On 26 March at 12 o'clock (1899), we arrived in Berlinhafen, the goal of our journey."
It was Palm Sunday.
"A crowd of children from neighbouring villages had gathered at the harbour, all very happy about our arrival. They were not afraid of us, they pressed around us and took us by the hand and so, accompanied by the little ones, we made our entry here in a manner that reminded us of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem . . ." (from the letter of Sr. Ursula Sensen of June 4, 1899.)
These new comers knew neither the culture nor the language of the people; they had to content themselves with slowly sowing the seeds of Christianity by their own example.
Soon the people's trust in the sisters grew and they began to call on the sisters for help. The young girls began helping the sisters in the garden, laundry, sewing room, house and kitchen, and picked up basic hygiene for a start. The main activity for the sisters was teaching, however, it was not easy since they had no teaching aid except a blackboard and a hand-made bulletin board.
Later Sr Valeria wrote: "I myself write the catechism, the reader, the writing and maths books for the girls and I try to adapt my teaching methods to the local conditions."
In response to the need for teaching aids, Sister Cherubina Frings arrived in Tumleo in 1905 with a simple, hand-operated printing press. She immediately set up the press and commenced printing catechetical materials in the vernacular, simple readers of all kinds, plus maths books in German, along with hymnals and prayer books. Hers was the first printing press to operate in New Guinea.

In 1902, the Sisters were ordered by Fr Superior General Janssen in Holland to set up their first new foundation away from Tumleo at Monumbo near Bogia in Madang. This was to be the first of many such stations the sisters were to pioneer in New Guinea.
For much of their schoolwork especially for catechumenates, the sisters had to constantly travel either to the villages on foot, horseback or sometimes by boat. These trips had their hazards with two sisters thrown off and dragged along by their horses and another sister drowning when a boat overturned.

Within eight years of their arrival, the SSpS had 23 sisters working on Tumleo and Ali island, at Monumbo and Bogia and later at Alexishafen, which in 1909 became the Central Station for both SVDs and SSpS. With the beginning of the First World War in 1913, the sisters experienced new problems. They were years of insecurity for all German nationals in New Guinea because at the treaty of Versailles in 1919, their mission field became a Trust Territory of Australia. Some problems were; no new German missionaries would be coming and what new common language to be used in schools since German was outlawed. If it was English, then where would English-speaking sisters come from?

The Sisters also took on a new apostolate. With the Australian takeover, all German nationals were deported however, they were not allowed to take their local wives and mix race children. The mission was asked to care for these orphans. So they were gradually gathered at Alexishafen and formed a boarding school. A dozen such children between the ages of two and twelve arrived from Manus. More came from Madang and Wewak.
The Sisters cared for them and educated them. The boys became apprentices to the Brothers in their workshop and many of their descendants grew up to be successful businessmen.

In 1959, the Sisters set up a station in Wewak and taught at the Catechist Training School. In 1922, the first American Sisters arrived in Alexishafen - the first also from an English-speaking country and first to be appointed since 1913!

In 1924, the sisters celebrated their silver jubilee with only pioneer sisters Ursula and Fridolina alive to celebrate. Sister Martha died in 1914 and Sister Valeria in 1917. With the new English language introduced in the territory, all new appointed sisters now had to take up language course in US before coming to New Guinea.
However, between 1929 and 1931 the missions and government agreed to adopt Tok Pisin as the medium of education. This simplified the entire education system considerably and enrollments increased rapidly.
Sister Matritia Haag was one of the key persons appointed as the mission's official translator by Bishop Wolf. Local leaders also began helping the sisters. Two well-known early teachers were Emma Makain and Scholastica Atingai.

In 1941, the Second World War began and the Government evacuated most of the expatriate women and children from New Guinea. The Sisters were given choice to go or stay. All but one opted to stay - but actually, no one left. They preferred to remain with the people. As a result more than half the sisters lost their lives.

The first lot of missionaries from East Sepik were among 62 prisoners executed on the Japanese Destroyer Akikaze on March 17, 1943 while en route from Kavieng to Rabaul. There was Bishop Loerks, six priests, 14 brothers, 18 SSpS sisters and three lay people.
Another five sisters were lucky to join other missionaries and walked from Sepik into the Highlands and were later evacuated to Port Moresby then to Australia.

On 6th February 1944, 37 SSpS sisters were amongst other missionaries to die on the Japanese ship Yorishime Maru when it was strafed by American warplanes while sailing from Madang to Wewak. Other Sisters and missionaries who survived were later rescued by American soldiers and evacuated to Australia.
After the war, the sisters returned to New Guinea arriving in Madang on 22nd September, 1946.

World War II had destroyed all mission stations on the coast and of 92 sisters in New Guinea, 54 died during the war. Of those 38 who survived and were evacuated to Australia, five remained there and one returned to the US. The rest returned to PNG.
With such heavy losses of personnel and destruction after the war other religious congregations were invited to come to New Guinea. Although the SSpS had lost more than 50 per cent of their sisters during the war, there were plenty of vocations for the foreign missions in Europe. However, Australia allowed only German nationals who had been in New Guinea to re enter but did not allow new comers until 1950 - 15 years later!
Sisters were only able to return to Alexishafen, Ali, Yakamul, Wewak, Marienberg, Mugil, Manam, and Bogia.

In 1952, the SSpS Sisters were instrumental in setting up the Rosary Sisters, a local congregation in Wewak and in 1954 set up the St Therese Sisters, another local congregation in Madang. The sisters also moved in to the Highlands starting at Minj in 1956, Par in 1957 then took over the government leprosarium at Yampu in 1958. In 1962, a convent was opened in Mt Hagen.

In 1961 Sister Jane Frances Millane represented the missions on the Syllabus Development Committee of the National Education Department and helped prepare the National Grade Six exams, and produced the Maths Laboratory. In 1968, the Sisters were involved with SVDs in starting the Catholic High School in Madang. The high school has since developed into the Divine Word University and SSpS sisters are still on the staff of the University.
In 1956/57 the Malala High School was started. The school developed until 1971 when the SSpS became involved. Sr Jane Frances was the first SSpS on the staff and today remains as the headmistress.

In 1978 in response to voices from within SSpS congregation in PNG and abroad, and also from a number of requests from PNG girls to enter the congregation, steps were taken with the formation of local Holy Spirit Sisters. On 15 January 1986, Sr Alma Kawaly of Sangriwan Village on the Sepik and Sr Agnes Terese Lisban of Tambanum pronounced their first vows and became the first two professed Papua New Guinean Holy Spirit Sisters. On 3rd July 1993, the two sisters pronounced their final vows. Then it was announced that Sr Agnes was to go to Ghana in Africa. The SSpS missionary commitment in PNG has made a full circle.

As of January 2001, there are 80 Holy Spirit Missionary sisters working in PNG. Fifty-nine are expatriates and 21 are national sisters. Out of the 21 national sisters, 7 are fully professed, and 14 have made their first vows

Information on SSpS was condensed from Sent By The Spirit, a publication celebrating 100 years of SSpS mission history in PNG published by Holy Spirit Sisters and printed by Wirui Press, P.O. Box 107, Wewak, ESP, Papua New Guinea.

PNG Maritime College

PNG Maritime College steams ahead with K5.8m development

Maritime College new dormitory and library building.

By Patrick Matbob

PNG Maritime College, Pacific’s premier maritime institution, is steaming ahead with the opening of new facilities to lift the standard of seamen training in the region.

Last month the college opened three new facilities; a marine offshore safety training centre, an upgraded full mission navigation simulator and a building housing a library and women’s dormitory. The new facilities were funded by AusAID through the PNG Incentive Fund at a cost of K5.8m.

Minister for National Planning Sam Basil jointly opened the facilities with the head of AusAID in PNG Stuart Schaefer.

Mr Basil thanked Australia for its continued partnership in PNG’s development efforts and described the Incentive Fund Program as one of the most effective donor-funded programs in PNG.

The college’s new principal Captain Richard Teo said the Maritime Offshore Safety Training which was housed in the Petroleum, Oil and Gas Industry training centre, would soon be accredited with UK’s Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO).  This would happen after trainers complete their formal and intensive induction, training assessment and audit.

“This facility will prepare and update personnel working in the PNG Petroleum industry to the highest safety standards in emergency response and survival techniques, fire prevention, safety control/management and in the event of transport helicopter accidents at sea, the ability to remain safe, escape and help others in the same predicament at our Helicopter Underwater Escape Trainer (HUET) facility”.

The college’s navigation simulator has also been upgraded to include Electronic Chart Display and Information system (ECDIS) for navigation and automatic identification at sea. The will provide training for harbour pilots, merchants and naval officers and includes ‘blind navigation’.

The new building that houses the ladies dormitory and library, will allow for more women to join the college for further training.

Captain Teo also announced that the college will soon introduce a Transport and Logistics Diplomas for officers and engineers which will lead towards a bachelor degree in Marine Operations and Management.

He said that the college was pursuing a excellence in education and training in Madang and hoped to finalise programs with Divine Word University and other institutes.

“We will also pursue an international collegiate arrangement with other colleges across the world, engaging with industry at the same time to ensure that our graduands are transferred the best knowledge and skills for employability at home and abroad”.

He said: “Management and leadership skills development and training will begin from the day they join as cadets and able seafarer trainees”.

He thanked AusAID and the Incentive Fund for providing the opportunity for the college to continue to lead as a world class facility to provide excellence in Maritime education and training for PNG and the Pacific region.

The Incentive Fund program between Australia and PNG which began in the late 90s has successfully funded bridges, roads, town markets, school classrooms, health centres, nurses accommodation, student dormitories and teachers houses in various parts of the country.

Head of AusAID in PNG Stuart Schaefer said the program had become so successful that the Fund had become a victim of its own success. He was referring to the fact that the projects established under the fund, especially the development of schools and health centres, have been so successful in delivering services that there has been increased demands for services from those institutions. This has resulted in requests for repeat funding from the Incentive Fund to cater for the increase in demand. Maritime College was one such institution.

Minister Basil was pleased with the establishment of a women’s dormitory which he said opened up opportunities for women interested in the shipping industry to further their knowledge and qualifications.

“By creating opportunities for both men and women, this increases the productivity level, skills level and increased workforce”.

He also pointed that since 2006, the PNG government NMSA Certification process was in accordance with the United Nations and International Maritime Organisation standards of Training and Certification for Seafarers Convention and Code commonly known as ‘White List’.

He said that meant that PNG seafarers were able to work anywhere in the world because they have international qualifications.

Mr Basil also said the recent maritime incidents in PNG he shocked the world. He said maritime transport was an integral resource for the people and the country needed to develop a highly efficient and safe system.

“The college, along with the National Maritime Safety Authority can provide regulatory input into operations and training for not just seagoing personnel but also for the operators”.

He said accountability and responsibility for operating safe ships lay with vessel operators. “Enforcement of the safety regulations is imperative and this includes educating operators”.

Katolik Sios i bung

Katolik sios i bung long Jenerel Asembli

By Patrick Matbob

Moa long 150 memba bilong Katolik sios long PNG na Solomon Ailans i bung long Madang long bikpela Jeneral Asembli miting.

Dispela miting i kamap long Divain Wot Yunivesiti long Tunde Novemba 5 i go inap long Sande Novemba 10.

Long Tunde Presiden bilong Divain Wot Yunivesiti Fr Jan Czuba na Asbishop bilong Madang Steve Reichert i bin welkamim ol deleget.

Asbishop Steve i bin tokim ol deleget olsem planti pipel i no harim yet gut nius bilong Jisas. Em i tok planti tu i lusim sios bilong wanem ol i no amamas long ol sin pasin bilong ol memba bilong sios.

Em i tok ol sevis em sios i save givim long edukesen na health i no kamap gut tumas long sampela ples.

Em i tok i gat planti pasin nogut bilong pait na bagarapim arapela i kamap long wol na kantri bilong yumi tude.

Em i salensim ol deleget long toktok long ol dispela hevi na painim rot long daunim ol.

Bihain ol deleget i bin wokim wanpela seremoni bilong bungim ol wara em ol i bin kisim i kam long ol daiosis bilong ol yet. Ol I bin kapsaitim olgeta dispel wara i go insait long wanpela graun sospen bilong ol asples Madang na miksim. Taim ol i kapsaitim wara, ol i pre long God i ken givim wara i gat laip long ol pipel bilong ol diosis bilong ol. Dispela pasin bilong miksim wara i soim olsem ol Katolik bilong olgeta hap bilong PNG na Solomon Ailens I wanbel long painim wara tru bilong laip.

Dispela jenerel asembli bai i toktok lukluk tu long ol bikpela hevi I kamap long ol pipel bilong PNG na Solomon Ailen. Ol kain hevi ol bai toktok long en em pasin bilong posin na sanguma, pasin bilong brukim marit, pasin bilong korapsen, ol hevi i save brukim marit, pasin bilong paitim na bagarapim ol meri na pinkini, na planti moa.

DWU audit

DWU audit commends and suggests changes

 

By Patrick Matbob

PNG’s Divine Word University has been commended for its development and contribution to the educational needs of the country.

 

 

   An Australian external academic audit panel made the commendations after carrying out an audit this year. The panel recommended that the university needs to give particular attention to maintaining and strengthening academic standards in program design and in teaching and assessment.

In its 62-page report, the panel found that DWU had many successes to report. It stated that the university’s graduates are valued by employers, it is responsive to national needs and emphasizes service to its communities and has established conditions conducive to students learning and academic pursuits. It found that the university has a strong reputation among its external stakeholders and among its students who appreciate the opportunities of learning they have.

 The audit panel specifically audited the university through an educational lens and in an international context, as a young but growing member of the international community of universities.

“Viewed in these contexts, DWU has travelled a long way quite rapidly,” the panel reported. It said it is time for the university to revise and consolidate some areas of operation, to ensure that its internal foundations and structures are fit for purpose and strong enough to support the University through its next phase.

“Above all, the University needs to give particular attention to maintaining and strengthening academic standards in program design and in teaching and assessment”.

The panel’s key recommendations addressed two pressing challenges for the university: strengthening of academic foundations and internal workings of the University; and improving academic standards.

“The university has now passed beyond its initial foundation stage, and needs to embrace a period of consolidation and reinforcement. The rapid growth of students and programs threatens to outstrip the capacity of DWU to manage itself in a coherent and cost-effective manner”.

The panel was concerned with the university’s establishment and plans for more multi-campuses throughout the country as a national university.

The panel made two ‘urgent’ recommendations that needed immediate attention to preserve the safety and credibility of DWU’s operations.

It found that while many degree programs meet the country’s National Qualification Framework, some qualifications offered through the Faculty of Flexible Learning appeared unlikely to meet PNG NQF requirements as they do not meet international expectations for the volume and depth of learning at particular qualification levels.  The panel also recommended that the Faculty of Flexible Learning be dismantled and to be reconfigured as an administrative and logistical centre for support and facilitation of external studies of all forms, including residential schools.

The university also needs to increase its numbers of appropriately qualified and experienced academic staff.

The panel suggested that the university develop learning and teaching plan and a research plan. It also recommended the establishment of the positions of vice-president academic and vice President research to be headed by appropriately qualified personnel.

It directed that greater authority and responsibility be given to deans of faculties and create a proper staff database urgently to improve its capability for workforce planning. It also wanted all the university’s program descriptions to be systematically reviewed for consistency.

It also recommended a solid foundation year for commencing students. While it commended the university for developing a thirty-year plan, it recommended that it revise its current approach to strategic planning and develop a set of key performance indicators. The university has also been told to review its structure of Council membership, including options for alternative models of corporate governance, to ensure its corporate governance is appropriate to a multi-national campus, multi-province institution addressing national needs.

Other specific reccomentations included:

·         Divine Word University rationalise and stabilise its organisational structure, position titles, and reporting lines in keeping with its resources and size, and that the University develop a complete register of delegations of authority.

·         review the roles of campus Vice-Presidents and ensure that academic authority and accountability across all campuses and teaching locations clearly resides with the relevant faculty dean and head of school.

·         minimise the use of recent DWU graduates as the main or sole lecturers for units and provide better mentoring and career development support for those of its graduates appointed to staff positions.

·         foster a stronger culture of academic integrity, including means to ensure that students understand why and how plagiarism is wrong, to minimise the incidence of plagiarism and other academically unacceptable behaviour.

·         establishment and maintenance of appropriate specialised laboratories and resources for health sciences disciplines and expand clinical placement opportunities for students.

·         a senior leader of research in the University with the academic standing and drive to focus research activity across the University and actively seek opportunities to build research capacity.

·         develop and implement a Research Plan identifying specific research themes under which the University is able to, or will be able to, make a significant contribution to the generation of new knowledge, supported by external collaboration.

·         The Audit Panel recommends that Divine Word University establish, as a matter of urgency and possibly in conjunction with another institution, a genuine, credible and transparent ethics committee process for the review and approval of any research involving human subjects.

·         review and refine the applicationof its Policy on Printing and Paper Use, to ensure that the application of this Policy does not adversely affect the academic activities of the University.

·         Divine Word University acknowledge and address urgently students’ concerns about the quality of their food at the Madang Campus.

·         take additional action to ensure the safety of students who live away from the main campus in Madang, especially when they are travelling to and from the Madang Campus.

·         Finally, the intended incentives for academic staff to earn additional income, through consultancy work in teaching and research, are not working as well as they could be. While the intent of these incentives is sensible and praiseworthy, their effects in practice may be less helpful and the Panel suggests DWU review these effects.

·         Although the University has given very careful consideration to its current workload management arrangements for academic staff, the Panel considers the model is in need of revision, to better capture the diversity of activities they take on. The credit points system will assist with the redevelopment of staff teaching allocations, while improved human resources planning will inform a revision of the workload model. Section 9 contains suggestions in respect of staff time for research.

 The panel produced the report after reviewing DWU’s academic programs, policies, strategic plans and other documents and interviewed staff, students and stakeholders. 

Meanwhile, university president Fr Jan Czuba has acknowledged the audit report and said the university will implement the recommendations starting immediately. A proposed time frame has already been prepared to amend the DWU strategic plans as recommended by the audit report and work has already begun with faculty meetings to review delivery of academic programs.

General Assembly of Catholic Church

Water ceremony significant in mingling of faith

By Patrick Matbob

 

The General Assembly of the Catholic Church began in Madang yesterday with a meaningful water

Lucia Tomdia of Port Moresby Archdiocese.

ceremony.

Participants from PNG and Solomon Islands who are meeting at Divine Word University brought water from their dioceses and mingled it in a large traditional Madang clay pot. Containers made of bamboo, clay and wood contained water that came from creeks as far away as Auki diocese in the Solomon Islands and the highlands and coastal areas of PNG.

As participants poured the water into a large Madang clay pot, they prayed for their people in their dioceses whose lives were sustained by the water. They prayed that the mingling of the water would renew their faith and strengthen them to evangelize to the people in their dioceses.

The ceremony marked the opening of a week of discussions by bishops, priests, religious and lay people about the serious issues that are facing the church today. Topics to be discussed include the increasing poverty amongst citizens, lack of education and health services, family life and religious life, and the empowerment of the laity in the work of the church. Violence in society especially against women and children, corruption and unequal distribution of wealth, crime and drug abuse, sorcery and preservation of the environment are some of the issues that will be discussed.

Archbishop of Madang Steve Reichert in his opening address reminded participants that many people have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus. He said others have left the Church, some scandalized by the sins of its members.

“The social services of our Church, health and education, while very good in some areas, are deteriorating in others. There is so much violence and abuse in our world”, he said.

A major challenge to the church especially in the highlands of PNG will be the increase in killings and torture associated with sorcery. The church along with civil authorities, have struggled in recent years to control violence related to sorcery, witchcraft and cult practices. This has been a major challenge to the Christian faith, resulting in the breakdown of law and order and respect for authority in communities in the region. The PNG government has responded to serious crimes by introducing capital punishment and abolishing the Sorcery Act. The Catholic Church has consistently opposed capital punishment as a solution to serious crimes and has voiced its opposition again recently.

The conference in Madang will continue for a week and ends with a mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral on Sunday November 10.

General Assembly of Catholic church

 

Archbishop Steve Reichert

General Assembly of the Catholic Church opens in Madang

By Patrick Matbob

 The Catholic faithful in PNG have been reminded that many people in the world today want to hear and see the good news of Jesus.

Archbishop of Madang Steve Reichert made the call when welcoming more than 150 delegates from Solomon Islands and PNG to the General Assembly of the Catholic Church at Divine Word University on Tuesday (November 5).

Archbishop Reichert told the delegates that many people have not heard the good news of Jesus; others have left the Church, some scandalized by the sins of its members.

“The social services of our Church, health and education, while very good in some areas, are deteriorating in others”.

He reminded the members that there was much violence and abuse in the world.

“Who will protect the children?” he asked.

The delegates come from 22 dioceses in PNG and Solomon Islands and will meet for a week discussing major issues facing the church in the region.

The General Assembly will address issues such as violence in society especially against women and children, corruption and unequal distribution of wealth, crime and drug abuse, sorcery and preservation of the environment.

A major challenge to the church especially in the highlands of PNG will be the increase in killings and torture associated with sorcery. The church along with civil authorities, have struggled in recent years to control the increasing violence related to sorcery, witchcraft and cult practices. This has been a major challenge to the Christian faith, resulting in the breakdown of law and order and respect for authority in communities in the region. The PNG government has responded to serious crimes by introducing capital punishment and abolishing the Sorcery Act. The Catholic Church has consistently opposed capital punishment as a solution to serious crimes and has voiced its opposition again recently.

The work of the Catholic Church in PNG and Solomon Islands will also come under scrutiny as church leaders seek to encourage more lay people to be involved in the work of the church. The Catholic Church has been in the region for more than 100 years and has been led largely by the clergy and religious members.

The conference will deliberately for a week, and participants are expected to suggest concrete solutions that can be applied immediately in communities, parishes and dioceses throughout the region.

The conference will end with a mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral on Sunday.

General Assembly of Catholic Church

Academic calls for renewal of faith

 

Dr Catherine Nongkas

A Catholic academic at Divine Word University in Madang has warned of the towering challenge that secularization is presenting in the world today.

Dr Catherine Nongkas, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Divine Word University, told delegates at the General Assembly of the Catholic Church at DWU that people were developing a mentality in which God was effectively absent wholly or partially from human life and awareness.

She warned that this secularization was not only an external threat to believers, but that it had been manifest for some time in the heart of the Church herself.

“It profoundly distorts the Christian faith from within, and consequently, the lifestyle and daily behavior of believers,” Dr Nongkas said.

Dr

She said for Catholics, this year had been declared as the Year of Faith by former Pope Benedict 16^th and encouraged the faithful to read and study the Catechism of the church to understand the teachings and to defend their faith. She also called for a new evangelization to help transport the faith in areas where it had diminished.

She encouraged participants in the General Assembly to reflect, renew their faith, rediscover, deepen, intensify and revitalize their faith and put in into action.

“If we look at all individual parishes and dioceses, we are beginning to see that the number of people coming to church on a Sunday is decreasing. Have we started to do some research to find why this is happening?”

She said even at DWU when she first joined, the number of people coming to Sunday mass was high, so high that there were two masses. She said however, this year the numbers of staff and students attending mass have declined.

Dr Catherine said the first encyclical of Pope Francis Lumen Fidei was about enlightening the faith. She said this was about illuminating human existence to help people distinguish good from evil, especially in this modern age in which belief was opposed to searching and faith was regarded as an illusion.

She reminded the delegates that Jesus’ final mandate before ascending into heaven was - “Go, teach all nations”. She said this mandate was fresh today and was the sacred duty of evangelization.

She also reminded them of the theme of the Assembly which was about the Gospel story of the woman at the well who encountered Jesus.

“Like the Samaritan woman at the well we too will be so excited with the message of Jesus that we will run off to proclaim Him and his message to the people of our time in parishes, communities, and in our society in PNG and the Solomon Islands”.

The General Assembly continues until Sunday November 10.