PARISHIONERS WALK FROM MT HAGEN TO PORT MORESBY FOR PAPAL’S VISIT

By Vonu LIBITINO

Call it a Walk of Faith, as 43 parishioners from the Mt Hagen Archdiocese in Western Highlands Province (WHP), took to rugged path through the wilderness of Papua New Guinea, to Port Moresby for the Papal’s Visit.

Mr. Jacob Dumu from the Kerepia Parish, speaking on behalf of the 43, said it took them almost 4 days and 4 nights, to complete their journey through the bush tracks from Morobe, through the Gulf, before they got on a PMV into Port Moresby.

“The road was hard,” Mr Dumu said.

“When missionaries first came to Mt Hagen, they didn’t get on planes.

They sacrificed their lives and walked into the remote areas, to bring the Word of God.

That is why we wanted to follow the same road that they took, to come to Port Moresby to see Pope Francis,” Mr. Dumu explained.

The group is now being housed at Tokarara in the St John Catholic Parish, that Parish that has been organized for the Catholics who will be flying in from the Mt Hagen Archdiocese for the Papal Visit.

An excited Mr Dumu said he is looking forward to the Sunday Mass that will be held by Pope Francis, at the Sir John Guise Stadium (SJGS) in Port Moresby.

“I do not know if I will ever get the chance to see Pope Francis.

My fellow parishioners also say the same thing.

This is a once in a life time event for us and we are all looking forward to it,” Mr Dumu said.

He said the Papal’s Visit is so significant for them as Catholics, that there are 4 members of their 43 team, who are elderly and would not have been able to make the journey however, their faith carried their aging limbs over the rugged terrains to reach Port Moresby, so they could see Pope Francis.

“We walked safely from Mt Hagen to Port Moresby.

And every parish we passed, the Priest prayed for us and gave us his blessings as we journeyed on.

It was God who protected us all along, until we reached Port Moresby,” Mr. Dumu said.

Mr Dumu is just one of the many thousands of Papua New Guinea and Pacific Catholics, that have and will travel into Port Moresby for the 3 day Papal Visit.