Port Moresby: The Liturgical Catechetical Institute (LCI) officially opened and blessed its new branch at the Catholic Bishops Conference Headquarters in Port Moresby on Tuesday, 8th March 2022.
Present to officiate the opening and bless the bookshop was His Eminence Cardinal Sir John Ribat MSC. Cardinal Ribat signified the opening of the bookshop with a reading of the gospel, responsorial psalm, the cutting of the ribbon and the blessing of the shop.
Fr Tomas Ravaioli IVE, Director of LCI, in his opening address acknowledged Fr Giorgio Licini, CBC General Secretary, Jimmy Son, CBC Business Manager, and Bp Dariusz Kaluza, Bishop Deputy of LCI, for their contribution towards the bookshop.
“The goal of the bookshop is not to run a business but to give the people from all the provinces the possibility to see what the LCI has to offer in order to improve the catechesis and liturgy in the dioceses,” he stated.
He added that not many people visit the bookshop in Goroka but with this new branch in Port Moresby, all the bishops and many priests and sisters will have the possibility to see what the LCI has to offer.
According to Fr Tomas, the LCI was created in the 60s and first had its branch in Port Moresby, later in Madang and in Goroka.
“The main goal of it was to be a resource of catechetical and liturgical material for the whole country. During the last 60 years, the LCI produced hundreds of books and resources both in English and Tok Pisin to help the priests, religious, catechists, laypeople, youth, children, etc. The work it has done and continues to do is simply priceless,” said Fr Tomas.
He also shared that the LCI bookshop is something that CBC desired for so long and he is happy to be able to contribute to it.
Gathered to witness the ceremony were President of CBCPNGSI and Archbishop of Madang, Anton Bal; Archbishop Douglas Young SVD of Mt Hagen; Bishop of Mendi, Donald Lippert OFM Cap and Bishop Otto Separy of Bereina, Fr Giorgio Licini and staff of CBC.
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