In a Mass in the Notre Dame de Sainte-Croix Chapel at the Holy Cross Generalate in Rome on Friday, August 23, Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General, led the commissioning rite for the eight missionaries who will begin the Congregation of Holy Cross’s new Holy Family Mission in the Diocese of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. Fr. Emmanuel Kallarackal, C.S.C., Vicar General and First Assistant, presided and preached at the Mass.
“You missionaries have listened to much, learned much, experienced much during the past two weeks,” said Fr. Kallarackal in his homily. “You can count on the prayers and support of the General Council as you move along. I pray for God’s choicest blessings on you and on your life and ministry in Bougainville. Go forth with courage and faith. Take Jesus with you and he will do the work through you. Remember: ‘Holy Cross is not a human work, but God’s very own.’”
The Rite for the Sending Forth of Missionaries came from the Congregation’s Ritual Prayer. After a series of intercessions, the eight missionaries were presented with a copy of the Liturgy of the Hours, a lighted candle, and the Congregation’s symbol of the cross and anchors. Then they received a special blessing which concluded with the petition that God “fill the hearts of these missionaries with the Holy Spirit, so that, becoming all things to all people, they may lead many to you, the Father of all, to sing your praises in your holy Church.”
“This whole time of orientation has been amazing, a blessed experience for me as I prepare to go for PNG mission,” said Fr. Emmanuel Agaba, C.S.C. “As I go to this mission, I take inspiration from our Constitutions that implore us that this is God’s mission, and we are assured of his continuous Divine Providence.”
The eight missionaries are: Br. John Agyemang Amponsah, C.S.C., and Br. Francis Afeletey, C.S.C., from the Province of West Africa in Ghana; Br. Chayan Victor Corraya, C.S.C., from the St. Joseph Province in Bangladesh; Br. James Walters from the United States Province of Priests and Brothers; Fr. Agaba from the Province of East Africa in Uganda; Fr. Amalraj Arockiyam, C.S.C., from the Province of Tamil Nadu in India; Fr. Thomas John, C.S.C., from the Province of North East India; and Fr. Boneventure Lobo, C.S.C., from the Province of South India.
The Mass and Commissioning Rite brought to a close the two-week orientation program designed to prepare the pioneering missionaries for their upcoming service and ministry in Bougainville.
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The orientation officially began on Tuesday, August 13, with a Mass presided by His Eminence Luis Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches. It was the Dicastery for Evangelization that recommended to Br. Bednarczyk that the Congregation open its new mission in Papua New Guinea.
During his homily, Cardinal Tagle thanked the Congregation for reaching out to the dicastery to discern its new missionary territory and spoke of how this process of mutual discernment could serve as a model for other congregations. Then, referencing the gospel reading of Luke 10, the cardinal exhorted the missionaries to “remain lambs, vulnerable, simple, teachable, people who can be guided by the Spirit and who can be guided whom we will serve.”
From there, the two-week orientation included a full calendar of presentations, discussions, and activities to help the missionaries prepare integrally for their new work in the Diocese of Bougainville.
Sr. Anne Falola, OLA, Member of her community’s Leadership Council and President of the Association of Africans and Malagasies, spoke with them about the person of the missionary and explored the work of evangelization and the social approach to mission in the Church today. Fr. James Connelly, C.S.C., shared the history of the Congregation’s missions, and Fr. Stanislaus Lazar, SVD, Generalate Mission Secretary, spoke on a wider theology of missiology, which was the subject of his Doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Focusing more on Papua New Guinea, the missionaries spent a day with Br. Ken McDonald, FMS, General Councilor, who spent 15 years working in Bougainville. He shared from his wealth of personal experiences, giving the missionaries great insight into the culture and the people. He even led the missionaries in preparing traditional food from Bougainville.
On the following day, also sharing his personal experience of ministry in Papua New Guinea was Fr. Setefano Mataele, SM, General Councilor.
The missionaries also had an engaging two-hour-long Zoom call with the Most Rev. Dariusz Kałuża, Bishop of the Diocese of Bougainville, on Sunday, August 18. The bishop shared his gratitude and joy with the new missionaries and shared with them information about Christ the King Parish in Hantoa and Sacred Heart Parish in Tinputz where the eight will serve.
Interspersed between these presentations, Br. Jonathan Beebe, C.S.C., Sixth Assistant, and Br. Bertrand Nee Wayoe, C.S.C., led the missionaries in various self-knowledge and community-building exercises, including a reflection on a day trip to Assisi that they planned on their own. They also spent time sharing on the cultures and practices of their home countries, exploring the similarities and differences as part of preparing themselves to enter into a new culture.
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The day prior to their commissioning, on Thursday, August 22, the missionaries visited the Dicastery for Evangelization, where they were received by the Most Rev. Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Section of First Evangelization, and Monsignor Augustine Han, an official in the Section of First Evangelization. In addition to learning about the work of the dicastery, they received a tour and were able to venerate one of two habits of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who is Patroness of the Missions alongside St. Francis Xavier.
“The last two weeks have been filled with many blessings—from the opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal Tagle to the presentations on mission in general and our mission to Bougainville in particular,” said Br. Walters. “Even more importantly, however, our time in Rome gave us many opportunities to grow closer to our fellow missionaries. Whether it be through prayer, meals, recreation, or travel. As I travel back to the United States, I am full of gratitude for a great orientation and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in Papua New Guinea!"
The eight missionaries are now returning to their home countries of origin as they await their work permits and visas. The plan is for them to begin arriving in Papua New Guinea before the end of the year.
Preparing the way for them will be Pope Francis, who as part of his 45th apostolic journey abroad, will be visiting Papua New Guinea from September 6-9. The trip also includes Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.