Papua New Guinea marks Holy Trinity Feast and 50 Years of Missionaries of Charity

The Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea celebrated a remarkable dual event on Sunday: the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity and the Golden Jubilee of the Missionaries of Charity in the country on June 15.

The celebration, held at St Michael's Parish in Hanuabada, Port Moresby, was led by Archbishop Maurizio Bravio, the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The event brought together hundreds of clergy, religious, and lay faithful from across the Archdiocese and beyond.

In his homily, Archbishop Bravio reflected on the Holy Trinity as a model of love, unity, and mission—virtues embodied by the Missionaries of Charity throughout their 50 years of service in Papua New Guinea.

“The Trinity is the communion of divine love. It is from this same love that the Sisters have lived in streets, hospitals, homes, prisons, and leprosariums,” he said.

Founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta, the Sisters arrived in PNG in 1975, after the country’s independence.

Since then, they have ministered to the poor and marginalized across various regions, including Lae, Mount Hagen, Aitape, and Alotau. Their life of radical simplicity and unwavering compassion has touched countless lives.

The celebration included cultural dances, a symbolic offertory, and heartfelt testimonies from individuals impacted by the Sisters’ mission. Pope Francis sent a special message of blessing, acknowledging the Sisters’ faithful witness and thanking them for their service to “the least of our brothers and sisters.”

Cardinal John Ribat expressed the Church’s gratitude, stating, “For fifty years, you have brought dignity to the forgotten, strength to the weak, and hope to the abandoned.”

Sister M. Calista MC, a Papua New Guinean member of the congregation, shared how witnessing the Sisters’ compassion in Port Moresby inspired her vocation. “I saw Jesus in them,” she said. “They touched the untouchables. They bathed the lepers, fed the hungry, and held the hands of those dying alone. I knew then that I wanted to give my life for the same mission.”

Ms. Maria, a laywoman from Gerehu, spoke of the comfort the Sisters brought during her husband’s illness. “They didn’t just bring food. They prayed with us. They cried with us. Their presence was Christ’s mercy made visible,” she said.

After the Mass, the parish priest of St. Michael’s, speaking on behalf of the Archbishop of Port Moresby, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Missionaries of Charity for their five decades of dedicated service.

“For fifty years, you have brought dignity to the forgotten, strength to the weak, and hope to the abandoned. We thank God for your presence among us,” said Cardinal John Ribat.

As a gesture of appreciation, the sisters were presented with woven bilums, cultural cloths, and handwritten letters from children. Archbishop Maurizio Bravio also handed them a special Papal Blessing from Pope Leo XIV, acknowledging their golden jubilee and their “faithful witness to the mercy of God in the peripheries of society.”

A letter from Pope Leo XIV was read aloud by the Nuncio’s secretary, conveying the Holy Father’s blessings and prayers. The Pope recognized the Missionaries of Charity's immense contribution to the Church in Papua New Guinea and their fidelity to the charism of St. Teresa of Calcutta.

“The Holy Father joins you in thanksgiving for 50 years of your missionary presence in Papua New Guinea. May the love of the Trinity never stop motivating your service to the least of our brothers and sisters,” the message read.

As Archbishop Bravio remarked, this jubilee is not just a celebration of the past but a call to future missions. “Now is the time to plant new seeds, to raise more hearts willing to go where no one else will go and love whom the world has forgotten.”

The event concluded with fellowship, cultural performances, and the launch of a commemorative souvenir book detailing the Sisters' five decades of mission in PNG.