Melbourne News

A whole new world

Friday 27 July 2012

By Katherine Galea, Archdiocesan Office for Youth

THURSDAY 19 July saw the Life, Marriage and Family Office team up with the Archdiocesan Office for Youth to present a special CulturED Café with two guests from Papua New Guinea. After a slight amendment to the schedule, we were lucky to be joined by Fr Jan Jaworski, a Catholic priest and medical surgeon who has been working in Papua New Guinea for 30 years. He is currently the Chief Surgeon of the Kundiwa Hospital in the Chimbu Province of PNG. As a priest he has helped to rebuild his community, following a tribal war, and maintained peace and order for a number of years. We were also joined by local doctor and missionary Dr Thomas who is working with Fr Jan and a team of people to teach locals about Theology of the Body.

As we listened we learned about the challenges faced by a country like PNG, where over 70 per cent of young people don’t finish high school. PNG is a traditional country struggling to come to terms with westernisation. It was a very educational CulturED Café, with our guests speakers giving us insight into a whole new world.

To finish up the evening, we had an almost teary goodbye and presentation to Louisa Ashton who has been volunteering her time for over eight years, with Six30 Holy Hour, at the Cathedral.  Louisa bids us all farewell to take up a two year role in Rome with the Emmanuel Community School of Mission. Her dedication and service to Holy Hour will be a hard act to follow.  She will be missed as she embarks on this next journey in her life. We do wish her all the best and will pray for her success.

Photos courtesy of Archdiocesan Office for Youth