Tribute made to late Emeritus Archbishop Michael Meier SVD
Rebiamul, Western Highlands Province: A special Eucharistic celebration was held to officially bring to a close the 63RD Annual General Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference PNG&SI.
The mass held at the Rebiamul Parish in Mt Hagen on Thursday 5th May 2022, also served the sentimental purpose of paying tribute to the late Emeritus Archbishop of Mt Hagen, Michael Meier SVD, who passed away on 3rd April 2022.
Presiding over mass as the main celebrant was His Excellency, Archbishop Anton Bal of Madang; and concelebrating the occasion were His Eminence, Sir John Cardinal Ribat MSC, Archbishop of Port Moresby; and His Excellency, Archbishop of Mt Hagen, Douglas Young SVD.
The special celebration with the liturgy provided for by students from the Music Ministry of the Holy Trinity Teachers College had the presence of Bishops, Priests, Religious, Deacons and Seminarians, Teachers, students, parishioners, children, and families from surrounding communities.
In his homily, Abp Bal, reflected on Jesus’ promise of eternal life and urged faithful gathered to be considerate and to in all their ways acknowledge Christ. “Through Christ, the Church has arisen. Jesus said men who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, will be given eternal life. We each have the freedom to choose whether to accept Jesus words to eternal life,” he stated.
Reflecting on the AGM’s theme of ‘Salt and Light’, Abp Bal implored all Christians to become the change and support needed to transform the lives of others facing darkness. “Yumi mas bung na kamapim strong bodi blong Jises, bai yumi ken kamap lait na sol blong givim laip long narapela. We too can share in the gift of eternal life by bearing witness to others the works of Christ in our lives,” he said.
“Listen, believe, and change our hearts, and Jesus will come live in us. In him, we are transformed, renewed, granted eternal life and promised resurrection in the last day. Jesus Christ left everything behind and gave his life to save us, this is how our late Abp Emeritus Michael Meier lived,” he added.
A 63-year old woman and parishioner of Rabiamul, Sabina Monpi, described late Abp Meier as a ‘Man of God’ who lived to serve the needs of those less fortunate and to bring them closer in Jesus Christ. “He paid for our children’s school fees and made sure that they went to school, when many of us parents couldn’t. A lot of our children today are now holding senior roles in different offices and we have him to be grateful for. I thank the Bishops for making special emphasis on the works of Abp Meier because he really was a committed and hardworking person ready to serve the needs of the communities,” she said.