SVD PNG Communication Workshop

Over the weekend of 9-12 February 2007, eight Divine Word Missionaries met in Mt Hagen to share about their role in the communications ministry of the Church in PNG and to plan for the future. Some are involved in radio, others in producing videos and films.  Others write for the newspapers such as Wantok Niuspepa.  All are involved in the challenge of communicating more effectively today – whether it be in families, church communities, or between people of different cultures.

In an interview at Trinity Radio FM, Fr Jan Szweda spoke about how the founder of the Society of the Divine Word, St Arnold Janssen, placed a high priority on the printed media for communicating the Word.  Fr Philip Gibbs noted how there have always been ways of communicating a message in PNG, such as the garamut, blowing a conch shell, or calling out to send a message to people on another ridge in the mountains.  Today, as Fr Josef Roszynski and Fr Paul Liwun noted, the media can be helpful yet problematic.  It can help people with information such as “toksave” programs, news, and education on health issues and the like, but it can also lead to problems with young people watching violent videos or accessing pornography on the internet.  The group of SVD communicators agreed to continue their efforts to support healthy and positive ways of communication for a better society in PNG.

At the end of the workshop the Divine Word Missionaries showed the premier of a new film (DVD) about the SVD in PNG, called “Word Bearing Fruit.”  They also launched the website: www.svdpng.org

This year the Mambe Parish Community celebrated St. Arnold Janssen’s Feast in a very special way. On this day, one member of their community, Frt. Dennis Nyaura, SVD made his life commitment to the Society of the Divine Word by pronouncing his final vows. A good number of confreres from the Wewak and other districts came to participate in this special event.  At one stage we were worried about how we all would get to Mambe since it was raining the previous week and the road is very bad, but thank God even the weather cooperated. It was just a perfect day for an outdoor celebration! Bishop Francesco Sarego, SVD presided over the Eucharist and Provincial Fr. Jan Szweda received Dennis’ vows. The well prepared liturgy including traditional elements, made the celebration a solemn one.  Just before the Eucharist, the family of Dennis gave him over to the Society in the symbolic manner of breaking a wooden tool, which served in the past to make sago, thus providing food for Dennis. After the mass the celebration continued with the sharing of food and cultural presentation. Two days later, Wednesday 17^th, Dennis was ordained deacon by Bp. Francesco at the Wirui Cathedral in Wewak. Deacon Dennis is already the second SVD from the same parish, after Fr. Rex Simangi, who was ordained a few years ago and is doing his missionary work in Brazil.

Congratulations go to the people of Mambe with their former parish priest Fr. Rudi Stodden, SVD.

Father Gerard AM Bus SVD died in Holland, Teteringen, Jan 8, this year 2007.

He entered the society of the Divine Word in 1931 and was ordained priest in 1945. He arrived in PNG in September l947 and worked here for almost 50 years. After arrival he stayed six weeks with Fr Ross on the station of Mount Hagen for introduction, while also visiting missions in the Wahgi valley (Nondugl, Banz, Minj and Kuli). There was a call for Enga when part of the Enga district was de-restricted (that means that the prohibition for expats to enter into Enga was lifted for a small area, in this case part of the Middle Lai and Tsak valleys). Father Ross made this first patrol with this young companion newcomer Bus. Leaving Mt Hagen on Oct.20, following the bush tracks, they reached Wabag  on Oct.24. At Kopen, a high elevation near Wabag they reached the restricted area. They were not allowed to cross over to the ”unknown”, the wider mission field  that was beckoning before their eyes.

                A week later, returning and reaching Mt Hagen again Fr. Ross wrote to Monsignor Van Baar at Alexis headquarters: ”Father Bus is full of enthusiasm for the new work and is willing to start as soon as you give the word”.

                Earlier Ross had written, after a nine hours trail, “Fr. Bus is very weary but held up remarkably well. I told him, I knew of no missionaries in New Guinea who could have made this trip”. And in the same letter: “From Pausa on the country is absolutely the worst I have ever seen in all New Guinea, even worse than the Bundi-Guyebi bush” This way Gerry became the pioneer of Enga. First alone by himself, but gradually came: Bernie Fisher, Jacques Donkers, Bill Kelly, John Schwab, George Schubbe, Henry Feldkoetter and Willy Blank and so on.

                In 1950 there were two stations, Pompobus and Kopen (Sari); in 1960 there were six parishes; in 1970 sixteen parishes. The number of stations had not grown by partitions, but regularly  new valleys were de-restricted, as far as Lake Kopiago to the West.

                His time as Provincial was in the years immediately after Vatican II.A time of renewal and finding new ways. Also for the religious societies a time of re-orientation and re-earthing . A time of many meetings and chapters. All this reflected in the regular conferences. The task suited him, and he grew with it.  His was a good way of chairing meetings and chapters.

                In his third term as a Provincial he invited the promoting team from Rome and Australia to prepare us for the Movement for a Better World  (MBW). No surprise that Gerry became the leaderof MBW as soon as he was a free man in 1975. The spirituality of Church-Community, reaching out into the world suited him. He would have wished o promote this on the national level, but the time was not yet ripe for that. In those beginning years the MBW team was only SVD fathers but they offered the movement to the dioceses. Few accepted.

Gerry was quick in taking some lay (men and women into the team and giving them a formation) much time went into translating the movement books and papers into Melanesian pidgin. He went with them through the stages of Basic Christian Communities,-- New Image of the Parish,-- and Pastoral renewal of the Diocese.

                In 1995 Gerry had semi-retired in his native Holland. He was welcomed and in no time he was made the deputy Rector of a bigger SVD-community. In September 2006 he suffered a mild heart attack. He recovered soon, though he admitted that he had lost a good deal of his energy, and he accepted that. But his passing away this week took everyone by surprise:

                On Saturday Jan 6 he fell down while walking outside, not unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital immediately doctors found that the aorta was torn, one of the heart valves hardly functioning, and one of his kidneys not working well.. At that stage nothing could be done by the doctors. On Jan 8 he was transported to the well equipped SVD residence at headquarters in Teteringen, where he died a few hours later, after having spoken with several of his confreres.

Missiology Seminar

We work as missionaries here in Papua New Guinea. How many of us reflect on the Theological basis of mission today? 24 SVDs and 3 SSpS sisters attempted to do just that in a week-long missiology seminar at Kefamo, from Jan 29 th – 3 rd February. The seminar was facilitated by Fr Zenon Szablowinski, Fr Zyggi Kruczek CMSA, and Fr Philip Gibbs, and based on a newly released book Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today, by Stephen Bevans SVD and Roger Schroeder SVD.

On the first two days participants heard about six themes that have been present in Christian theology over the past two millennia: Christ, Church, the end of history, salvation, anthropology, and culture. These are the “constants” that appear in different forms in the varied context of the history of the Church. The third day was devoted to the history of evangelisation in Papua New Guinea. For the final two days participants reflected on six dimensions of Prophetic Dialogue: witness and proclamation; Liturgy, prayer and contemplation; justice, peace and the Integrity of Creation; Interreligious Dialogue; Inculturation, and Reconciliation. With a full program each morning and discussion groups in the afternoon it was akin to a full course in mission theology covered in just one week!

Many participants said how they appreciated the chance to take time out and engage in look at the mission from a historical perspective. It is so easy to get caught up in a daily round of activities in our own micro-world and to forget the ever-changing wider context. Many have ordered the book so we look forward to further discussion on mission theology at future gatherings.