RMG – SDB Provinces: the “Blessed Philippe Rinaldi” Vice Province of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS)

04 March 2025
RMG – SDB Provinces: the “Blessed Philippe Rinaldi” Vice Province of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS)

(ANS – Rome) – In the late 1970s then Archbishop Mgr. Virgil Copas MSC, had invited the Salesians in Australia to come and open a presence to his diocese in Kerema. The response to his insistent request was negative because the Australian province had just accepted as the missionary responsibility to start a work in Samoa. Archbishop Copas, through the Apostolic Nuncio His Excellency Most Rev. Gino Paro, had sent an invitation to Fr. Egidio Viganò for the Salesians to start a Salesian presence in Kerema. Fr. Viganò in turn, eventually asked the Philippine North Province (FIN) to take Papua New Guinea as its missionary responsibility.

Fr. José Carbonell, Provincial of FIN Province, sent the first Salesians on June 13, 1980. In that year Fr. Lazaro Revilla was the Vice-Provincial. It was headed by Fr. Valeriano Barbero, who was at that time the Provincial Economer of FIN Province, together with Fr. Rolando Fernandez and Br. Joseph Kramar. They arrived in Port Moresby on June 13, 1980. The next day they proceeded to Araimiri in the Gulf Province. The Archbishop had already asked them to run the St. Peter's Vocational School for non-selected students. Later they were joined by Bros. Ramon dela Cruz, Levi Lanaria and Eriberto Cordon to form the first Salesian community in PNG!

Since their arrival in Araimiri the Salesians have appealed for the help of sisters to take care of the girls. In 1987 the Caritas Sisters of Jesus from Korea responded to that appeal.

Important Dates 

-          Beginning of the Salesian work in PNG: 14 June 1980

-          Beginning of the Salesian work in SI: 25 October 1995

-          PNG Provincial Delegation of FIN Province: 28 July 1994

-          Solomon Islands joined to Papua New Guinea Delegation: 1 April 2005

-          Decree of Erection of PGS Vice-Province:  23 December 2015 

 From the first arrival 1980 until 1994 all missionary activities in Papua New Guinea were coordinated by the FIN Province and were directly subordinated by it.

To date, there are 44 confreres from 17 nationalities:

-          27 priests,

-          1 deacon,

-          4 lay brothers,

-          12 clerics (9 are Papua New Guineas and 2 are Solomon Islanders).

Moreover, 3 Salesians have become bishops: two have retired. 

In 2023, PGS has sent its first missionary ad gentes, Cleric Joshua Tarere, who became part of the 154th Salesian Missionary Expedition. 

In February 2023, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed with Bishop John Bosco Baremes SM for the arrival of the first Salesians in Vanuatu by 2025.

The Salesians are in 9 canonically established houses: 7 in Papua New Guinea and 2 in Solomon Islands. 

In PNG Salesians run 3 Secondary Schools and 2 colleges. Among these, 3 schools provide Vocational Training and 3 provide Short-Term Courses for the out-of-school or dropouts. These schools also have boarding houses for the students. In three settings, there are also Learning Centres established where Literacy and Numeracy Program is conducted for children.

The Vice Province has an aspirantate. Pre-novices are sent for formation in FIN Province.

Salesians run 4 parishes: 3 in PNG and 1 in SI. There are two Shrines: the Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Boroko and the Diocesan Shrine of Saint John Bosco in Kumgi.

Pope Saint John Paul II visited the Don Bosco Church in Gabutu in 1995. Pope Francis came to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in 2024.

Salesian Family in PGS

The Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel (Michaelites) arrived in PNG in 1970 (10 years ahead of the SDB) and worked in the Highlands. 

  • The Caritas Sisters of Jesus arrived in PNG in 1986. They are now running two schools.
  • The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians arrived in PNG in 2001 and in SI in 2005.
  • The Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians arrives in PNG in 2021.
  • The first unit of the Association Devoted to Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) in the Parish of Mary Help of Christians in Sabama was approved by the ADMA Primaria in 2001.
  • The first group of Salesian Cooperators made their promise in 2003. The first group in SI made their promise in 2018.
  • The first unit of Past Pupils was organised in Gabutu in 1991.
  • On December 5, 2022, the first ever Don Bosco Volunteer in Melanesia made her First Profession in Port Moresby, PNG. 

For more information regarding the PGS Vice Province, visit our website https://dbpgs.org/   

Videos can be accessed via www.youtube.com/@donboscopng-si7931  

Regarding the projects in PGS, information can be obtained from https://dbpgs.org/projects/ 

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/23629-rmg-ispettorie-sdb-la-visitatoria-beato-filippo-rinaldi-di-papua-nuova-guinea-e-isole-salomone-pgs#sigProIdc2a9983257
 

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