Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception
Celebrating 70 years of God’s Goodness and presence
in Papua New Guinea
The 16th of September 2019, a special day to remember with gratitude and joyful praise for God’s goodness reflected in the lives of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and their presence in Papua New Guinea for the past 70 years since the arrival of our first four sisters in 1949. It was a time to celebrate, a time to rejoice, a time of grateful remembering, a time to praise the Lord! It was a time to look back with grateful hearts and say, “For all that has been THANK YOU, LORD.”
At the same time, Papua New Guinea as a nation celebrated its 44th anniversary of its independence on 16 September 1975. Aitape was full of colors, especially the colors of Papua New Guinea flag in red, yellow, white and black.
The celebration began at 8:30am at the front of the Diocese of Aitape Offices. The speech was given by Baltazar Maketu, one of those Sissano children who was taught by our first sisters who arrived 70 years ago. He gave a challenging message saying that we celebrate Independence anniverary every year but how are we contributing to the growth and change of this country so that everyone feels their basic needs are taken are of. If our people are suffering and not taken care of with their needs then the celebration means nothing. After the short speech and prayer our sisters led in the singing of the PNG National Anthem and followed by the Country’s pledged pronouced by all. Then all processed to the place where the Mass was set up with dancing group taking the lead and followed by the Ministrants, priests and the two Bishops, Bishop Francis Meli, the Bishop of Vanimo Diocese and main celebrant and Bishop Otto Separi, the Bihsop of Aitape Diocese assisted.
The Mass was held outdoor with the grandstand built in which the Altar was set for the Mass. The place was beautifully decorated. The people also built shelters in a U shape so that the people who attended the celebration were covered from the heat of the sun. The liturgy was beautiful with the choir group led by our sisters and the youths and mothers from the parishes in Aitape.
The different sub-parishes participated in the processions of the different parts of the Mass. St. Joachim led the Entrance procession. The people from Holi Spirit parish in Wewak did the offertory procession and took up the offertory and St. Francis Sub-Parish did the recessional dance. After the homily, all the MFIC sisters were invited to the front and renewed their Vows to live fully our MFIC life.
The whole Mass was spirit-filled, and the presence of the Lord was very much felt at the celebration. There was a sense of one family and spirit of communion with each other and with our sisters who served in PNG and have passed on to be with the Lord.
After Mass the food was distributed at different sites and all ate. There was so much food, more than enough to feed a big flock! Some of the food was shared with the people in the hospital and the people in some of the settlements.
After the meal there were music played by the youths as well as the Bamboo band from Madang which attracted a lot of people. Between the music there were different speakers from our sisters and from others who spoke. There were also some women who came and got help from our sisters after their violent experiences and felt that our sisters have done so much for them to free them from the pains they were experiencing. What they shared touched many hearts. Some of these women were from other denominations but felt at home with the sisters and got the help, care and love they needed. They shared their stories with grateful hearts.
After the speeches there were different items from the different groups of children, youths and older men and women for entertainment. It was with a spirit great joy to be part of all these. People were spontaneous and that is PNG way. Some items were not prepared in advance but with the spirit of joy they just came on and presented. In between the entertainment items, the music was played and many of the women and our sisters went and danced with all styles. There was laughter and joy and the women did not want to stop. All these went on until 6:00pm when we stopped.
On the next day all our volunteers and partners in mission came back and cleaned up the whole place and got it back to normal. You would not believe that there was celebration the day before.
It was a joy to remember in gratitude for our 70 years of God’s goodness and presence in bringing the Word, who is Jesus to this part of the world. That was shared over the 70 years and with the spirit of St. Francis, St. Clare and Elizabeth Hayes our Foundress. AS we move forward into the future we can say; “For all that will be YES, LORD”.
Wednesday 27th of November 2019, Solidarity with South Sudan held its Annual General Meeting in Rome at the Christian Brothers. Sister Pauline Robinson and Sister Danielle Julien, outgoing Solidarity Vice-President, participated in the Meeting.
Solidarity with South Sudan is a miracle: despite an extremely difficult context of violent political unrest, our programs continue and have a lasting impact at the individual level of the participants (teachers, nurses, midwives, farmers, pastoral agents) and the communities where our Institutes are and where our graduates return to work.
The Annual General Meeting included conversations about how to strengthen Solidarity’s relationships, especially with the Congregations that form its membership, and how to move towards a successful transition.
Solidarity with South Sudan needs Religious brothers and sisters to continue preparing in South Sudan the transition of our institutions and programs to the local Church. We are also actively recruiting a religious to take on the position of Mission Promoter, based in Rome. Visit Solidarity’s website for more information.
About Solidarity South Sudan
This initiative was inspired by the 2004 Rome Congress on Consecrated Life, Passion for Christ Passion for Humanity. Since 2008, five inter congregational religious communities welcoming lay volunteers have been established in South Sudan to carry out its mission.
Pope Francis recently called on religious to “Wake up the World”. Perhaps it would be more true to say that the poor who suffer from injustice are “waking up our world”. We are 31 clergy, religious and lay persons from 18 countries and 19 congregations. Our task is to accompany and be in solidarity with the people of South Sudan in this time of desperate need. Solidarity with South Sudan, as an organization, and its generous donor partners and supporters from all over the world enables us to do so!
Mission Statement
Solidarity with South Sudan aims to create self-sustainable educational, health and pastoral institutions and programs that will help to empower South Sudanese people to build a just and peaceful society. Solidarity is a collaborative commitment of religious institutes of men and women, members of the Unions of Superiors General and the Church in South Sudan working in partnership with the Sudan Catholic Bishop‘s Conference.
Vision and Values Through Solidarity with South Sudan’s focus on teacher training, nursing and midwife training and pastoral services, the organization has as its fundamental vision three very inter-related qualities:
1) the offering of educational and capacity building opportunities for South Sudanese
2) a unique collaboration and commitment of religious congregations and highly trained people from diverse cultures working together in community
3) the creation of a strategy built upon collaboration and experience in-country, and in Solidarity’s headquarters in Rome, to gradually hand-over the programs to South Sudanese Church and Religious Institutions present in the country. Solidarity with South Sudan–from its Board members, office staff and the personnel working in the country, is built upon a foundation of fundamental and practiced values:
recognition of the dignity of each person,
acknowledgment of vulnerability and powerlessness: placing ourselves at the service of the people of South Sudan.
appreciation and respect for local cultures
mutuality and understanding
proclamation of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ through our community life together, our life witness and committed action.
#AmazonSynod: The Church committed to be an ally with Amazonia.
Five chapters, plus an introduction and a brief conclusion: the Final Document of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region was released on the evening of 26 October, by the express will of the Pope. The document deals with a wide variety of topics, including mission, inculturation, integral ecology, defence of the indigenous peoples, an Amazonian rite, the role of women, and new ministries, especially in areas where access to the Eucharist is lacking.
Faith assures us that in a mysterious way the Kingdom of God is already present here on earth (cf. Gaudium et spes, 39). Yet in our own time, we are saddened to see the obstacles and opposition it encounters. Violent conflicts and all-out wars continue to tear humanity apart; injustices and discrimination follow one upon the other; economic and social imbalances on a local or global scale prove difficult to overcome. And above all it is the poorest of the poor and the most disadvantaged who pay the price.
The most economically advanced societies are witnessing a growing trend towards extreme individualism which, combined with a utilitarian mentality and reinforced by the media, is producing a “globalization of indifference”. In this scenario, migrants, refugees, displaced persons and victims of trafficking have become emblems of exclusion. In addition to the hardships that their condition entails, they are often looked down upon and considered the source of all society’s ills. That attitude is an alarm bell warning of the moral decline we will face if we continue to give ground to the throw-away culture. In fact, if it continues, anyone who does not fall within the accepted norms of physical, mental and social well-being is at risk of marginalization and exclusion.
For this reason, the presence of migrants and refugees – and of vulnerable people in general – is an invitation to recover some of those essential dimensions of our Christian existence and our humanity that risk being overlooked in a prosperous society. That is why it is not just about migrants. When we show concern for them, we also show concern for ourselves, for everyone; in taking care of them, we all grow; in listening to them, we also give voice to a part of ourselves that we may keep hidden because it is not well regarded nowadays.
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” (Mt 14:27). It is not just about migrants: it is also about our fears. The signs of meanness we see around us heighten “our fear of ‘the other’, the unknown, the marginalized, the foreigner... We see this today in particular, faced with the arrival of migrants and refugees knocking on our door in search of protection, security and a better future. To some extent, the fear is legitimate, also because the preparation for this encounter is lacking” (Homily in Sacrofano, 15 February 2019). But the problem is not that we have doubts and fears. The problem is when they condition our way of thinking and acting to the point of making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even – without realizing it – racist. In this way, fear deprives us of the desire and the ability to encounter the other, the person different from myself; it deprives me of an opportunity to encounter the Lord (cf. Homily at Mass for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 14 January 2018).
“For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?” (Mt 5:46). It is not just about migrants: it is about charity. Through works of charity, we demonstrate our faith (cf. Jas 2:18). And the highest form of charity is that shown to those unable to reciprocate and perhaps even to thank us in return. “It is also about the face we want to give to our society and about the value of each human life... The progress of our peoples... depends above all on our openness to being touched and moved by those who knock at our door. Their faces shatter and debunk all those false idols that can take over and enslave our lives; idols that promise an illusory and momentary happiness blind to the lives and sufferings of others” (Address at the Diocesan Caritas of Rabat, 30 March 2019).
“But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight” (Lk 10:33). It is not just about migrants: it is about our humanity. Compassion motivated that Samaritan – for the Jews, a foreigner – not to pass by. Compassion is a feeling that cannot be explained on a purely rational level. Compassion strikes the most sensitive chords of our humanity, releasing a vibrant urge to “be a neighbour” to all those whom we see in difficulty. As Jesus himself teaches us (cf. Mt 9:35-36; 14:13-14; 15:32-37), being compassionate means recognizing the suffering of the other and taking immediate action to soothe, heal and save. To be compassionate means to make room for that tenderness which today’s society so often asks us to repress. “Opening ourselves to others does not lead to impoverishment, but rather enrichment, because it enables us to be more human: to recognize ourselves as participants in a greater collectivity and to understand our life as a gift for others; to see as the goal, not our own interests, but rather the good of humanity” (Address at the Heydar Aliyev Mosque in Baku, 2 October 2016).
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Mt 18:10). It is not just about migrants: it is a question of seeing that no one is excluded. Today’s world is increasingly becoming more elitist and cruel towards the excluded. Developing countries continue to be drained of their best natural and human resources for the benefit of a few privileged markets. Wars only affect some regions of the world, yet weapons of war are produced and sold in other regions which are then unwilling to take in the refugees produced by these conflicts. Those who pay the price are always the little ones, the poor, the most vulnerable, who are prevented from sitting at the table and are left with the “crumbs” of the banquet (cf. Lk 16:19-21). “The Church which ‘goes forth’... can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast” (Evangelii Gaudium, 24). A development that excludes makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. A real development, on the other hand, seeks to include all the world’s men and women, to promote their integral growth, and to show concern for coming generations.
“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44). It is not just about migrants: it is about putting the last in first place. Jesus Christ asks us not to yield to the logic of the world, which justifies injustice to others for my own gain or that of my group. “Me first, and then the others!” Instead, the true motto of the Christian is, “The last shall be first!” “An individualistic spirit is fertile soil for the growth of that kind of indifference towards our neighbours which leads to viewing them in purely economic terms, to a lack of concern for their humanity, and ultimately to feelings of fear and cynicism. Are these not the attitudes we often adopt towards the poor, the marginalized and the ‘least’ of society? And how many of these ‘least’ do we have in our societies! Among them I think primarily of migrants, with their burden of hardship and suffering, as they seek daily, often in desperation, a place to live in peace and dignity” (Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 11 January 2016). In the logic of the Gospel, the last come first, and we must put ourselves at their service.
“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). It is not just about migrants: it is about the whole person, about all people. In Jesus’ words, we encounter the very heart of his mission: to see that all receive the gift of life in its fullness, according to the will of the Father. In every political activity, in every programme, in every pastoral action we must always put the person at the centre, in his or her many aspects, including the spiritual dimension. And this applies to all people, whose fundamental equality must be recognized. Consequently, “development cannot be restricted to economic growth alone. To be authentic, it must be well-rounded; it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man” (SAINT PAUL VI, Populorum Progressio, 14).
“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19). It is not just about migrants: it is about building the city of God and man. In our time, which can also be called the era of migration, many innocent people fall victim to the “great deception” of limitless technological and consumerist development (cf. Laudato Si’, 34). As a result, they undertake a journey towards a “paradise” that inevitably betrays their expectations. Their presence, at times uncomfortable, helps to debunk the myth of a progress that benefits a few while built on the exploitation of many. “We ourselves need to see, and then to enable others to see, that migrants and refugees do not only represent a problem to be solved, but are brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected and loved. They are an occasion that Providence gives us to help build a more just society, a more perfect democracy, a more united country, a more fraternal world and a more open and evangelical Christian community” (Message for the 2014 World Day of Migrants and Refugees).
Dear brothers and sisters, our response to the challenges posed by contemporary migration can be summed up in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. Yet these verbs do not apply only to migrants and refugees. They describe the Church’s mission to all those living in the existential peripheries, who need to be welcomed, protected, promoted and integrated. If we put those four verbs into practice, we will help build the city of God and man. We will promote the integral human development of all people. We will also help the world community to come closer to the goals of sustainable development that it has set for itself and that, lacking such an approach, will prove difficult to achieve.
In a word, it is not only the cause of migrants that is at stake; it is not just about them, but about all of us, and about the present and future of the human family. Migrants, especially those who are most vulnerable, help us to read the “signs of the times”. Through them, the Lord is calling us to conversion, to be set free from exclusivity, indifference and the throw-away culture. Through them, the Lord invites us to embrace fully our Christian life and to contribute, each according to his or her proper vocation, to the building up of a world that is more and more in accord with God’s plan.
In expressing this prayerful hope, and through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Way, I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon all the world’s migrants and refugees and upon all those who accompany them on their journey.
Pope Francis is calling for action. It’s time to respond.
Join the Global Catholic Climate Movement on a journey to pray for creation, live simply, and advocate for our common home. Sign up and we’ll support you along the way.
Pope Francis urges the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and all people of good will to take urgent action against the injustice of climate change and the ecological crisis, to protect the poor and future generations. His encyclical letter Laudato Si’ is a compelling call to care for our common home, Earth, building on a long history of Catholic teaching. We are building a vibrant movement to respond to Pope Francis’ call.
Answering Pope Francis’ urgent call in Laudato Si, I pledge to:
• Pray for and with creation • Live more simply • Advocate to protect our common home.
Laudato Si’ is Pope Francis’ historic encyclical on care for creation and our common home, calling for “ecological conversion”, changes in lifestyle and society, and strong political action. It was released on June 18, 2015.
Care for creation has been part of the Church’s social teaching for many years, with over 50 statements from either the Vatican or various Bishops’ conferences issued since 1970. However, Laudato Si’ is the first encyclical–the highest level of church teaching–issued on care for creation.
Laudato Si’ has also been transformative by demonstrating the way that our care for each other, our care for nature, and our spiritual life are all interconnected. Our current “throwaway culture” shows a disregard for life, for our community, for the poor and vulnerable, and for creation.
It is only by working together towards true conversion and true lifestyle change, by opening ourselves to “hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” that we can make the changes that we need. This encyclical calls each of us to action, as individuals and a church, and gives us hope that by working towards change together we can protect our common home.
This is why we are asking people, parishes and organizations to sign the Laudato Si’ pledge, and promise to heed the Pope’s call to pray for and with creation, live more simply, and advocate to protect our common home. Because Pope Francis has given us more than a document to study. Truly this encyclical calls us to live Laudato Si’.
The 16th of September 2019, a special day to remember with gratitude and joyful praise for God’s goodness reflected in the lives of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and their presence in Papua New Guinea for the past 70 years since the arrival of our first four sisters in 1949. It was a time to celebrate, a time to rejoice, a time of grateful remembering, a time to praise the Lord! It was a time to look back with grateful hearts and say, “For all that has been THANK YOU, LORD.”
Solidarity with South Sudan is a miracle: despite an extremely difficult context of violent political unrest, our programs continue and have a lasting impact at the individual level of the participants (teachers, nurses, midwives, farmers, pastoral agents) and the communities where our Institutes are and where our graduates return to work.
This initiative was inspired by the 2004 Rome Congress on Consecrated Life, Passion for Christ Passion for Humanity. Since 2008, five inter congregational religious communities welcoming lay volunteers have been established in South Sudan to carry out its mission.
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