Many former PNG missionaries, especially those from Aitape, were present at the funeral of Bishop Tony Burgess which took place in Sydney on 30 October. In the absence of Cardinal Pell, Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne was principal celebrant. There were also a good number of Australian Bishops present for the Requiem Mass. Priests from Read more
As part of its 2035 growth plan, the Diocese of Honolulu wants to purchase a minimum of 30 acres in West Oahu to build a church and new school – a 1,500-student campus for middle school and high school. The church would take up between 10 to 12 acres, while the school would use about Read more
Giving money to the Church is more important than paying for a child’s education for most Samoans. A study published in the Singapore Journal of Topical Geography “Hard times in Apia? Urban landlessness and the Church in Samoa,” says research suggest that “all five areas surveyed, households prioritise giving to the church as their primary Read more
188 solar panels are to be installed on the roof of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church at Yona, in Guam. They will supply about 65% of the church’s electricity needs. This will be the second solar panel array installed on a church owned building at the Yona. Last December, St. Francis Catholic School turned Read more
Marist Primary School, Suva Fiji, began celebrating its 125th anniversary last Thursday with a commemoration of children’s day. The theme for the three-day celebration is ‘125 years of multiracial education. The school’s 607 students made the most of their day off from classes, with a formal celebration in which they were addressed by former scholars Read more
The validity of United nations report on Gender Violence has been called into question by the President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, John Momis. He says that since the Report has not yet been formally presented to the Government, he is not “prepared to go into a point by point rebuttal of the findings”. Read more
The retired Bishop of Wewak, Tony Burgess, died in Sydney on Sunday 23 October. He spent 40 years working in Papua New Guinea. Arriving in 1973 he was sent to Karaitem near Lumi in the Torrecelli Mountains. Lumi was a large government station and the parish was under the care of Franciscan Fr. Tom Ritchie. Read more
A fire at Nukutere College in Rarotonga, the Cook Islands’ only Catholic secondary school, has destroyed five classrooms, three resource rooms, a science lab, the tuck-shop and a store. This is the second time in 8 years that the College has been damaged by fire. Approximately two thirds of the College teaching space and most Read more
Up to ten prisoners have been helping to build the Catholic Cathedral in Apia. The Church’s media spokesperson, Father Ioane Ono, confirmed this when contacted by the Samoa Observer. Ono said while he knew prisoners had assisted with the demolition of the old Cathedral, he was unaware they were being used to help with its Read more
The principal of Don Bosco High School and Vocational centre in Salelologa, Samoa, Fr. Mosese Tui and two Catholic volunteer teachers, Catherine Lutvey and Declan Crowe, have raised $135,000 by walking 182 kilometres around the island of Savai’i. Catherine said Mosese was concerned that many students were missing out on an education due to poor Read more