Gordons, Port Moresby: After fire destroyed its office in 2014, Caritas Papua New Guinea, the Peace, Justice, Relief and Development Agency of the Catholic Church in PNG, celebrated a milestone event on April 26th, 2023, witnessing the opening and blessing of a new office building in Gordons, Port Moresby.
This significant ceremony was witnessed by the 22 Bishops of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands who were in Port Moresby for their Annual General Meeting. Bishop Jozef Roszynski, the Bishop of Wewak Diocese and the outgoing Bishop Deputy of Caritas PNG, presided over the short blessing ceremony.
The management and staff of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG and Solomon Islands, representatives from the Catholic Professionals Society and officers from Caritas PNG were present to witness the occasion.
National Director of Caritas PNG, Ms. Mavis Tito, said the organization had come a long way, from a low point some years back to a comfortable place today, and the new office building is testament to the dedication and commitment by many.
She expressed her gratitude to the Bishops for their support and guidance throughout the years and for finally giving Caritas PNG a space of its own for expansion and growth in its mission to serve others.
“I would also like to thank the Catholic Bishops Conference Secretariat for supporting some minor works on the building and ensuring a smooth transition. We are happy with our new office and will take good care of it.”
Ms Tito went on to acknowledge the appointment of the new Bishops of Caritas PNG, Bishop Justin Ain Soongie of the Wabag Diocese as Bishop Deputy and Archbishop Anton Bal of the Archdiocese of Madang as the Assistant Bishop Deputy.
The Bishops congratulated the officers and pledged their ongoing support towards the work of Caritas PNG.
Caritas PNG was originally established in 1974 by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands and was known then as the Catholic Commission for Justice, Peace and Devtelopment. In 2020 the name changed to Caritas Papua New Guinea when it officially became a member of the Caritas Internationalis Confederation.