A Vehicle for a Remote Parish in Papua New Guinea

The Diocese of Mendi lies in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea and consists of 31 parishes with an additional 300 or more outstations, scattered across this remote, rural, and mountainous landscape.

The largest of these is the parish of St. Joseph in Margarima, which has a further 17 widely scattered outstations. Consequently, the distances the priests have to cover are considerable.

Father George Mathew, the parish priest, was facing a real problem. His old vehicle had already clocked up over 160,000 miles and was suffering ever more frequent breakdowns, so that it was constantly in the garage for repairs. Not only was he unable to visit his Catholic faithful as usual, but the repairs were costing a great deal of money. His mechanic urged him to have the car replaced as soon as possible, but he simply didn‘t have the money to do so. And so his Bishop, Donald Francis Lippert of Mendi asked us to help Father Matthew and his parish. He was not disappointed. Thanks to our kind friends and benefactors, we were able to provide the $30,038 needed for a reliable all-terrain vehicle able to cope with the challenging road conditions.

The bishop has written to thank all of you for your help: “The province of Hela, where the parish of St. Joseph is situated in Margarima, continues to be afflicted by senseless and brutal tribal conflicts. But the Church in Hela has not abandoned the people here and is quite possibly the only glimmer of light in the midst of all this darkness. This sturdy new vehicle makes it possible for Father George to visit all his outlying outstations and to be there for his people in these difficult times. In this way, you, the benefactors of ACN, are accompanying him on his travels with your solidarity and your prayers.”

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