Diocese of Aitape Pilgrims attend Holy Father’s address in Vanimo

Vanimo: The little peaceful town of Vanimo came to life as multitudes of pilgrims from the Diocese of Aitape traveled to Vanimo to join other Catholic faithful and people of goodwill during the Holy Father’s short visit on September 8, 2024.

(Bishop Francis Meli the Shepherd of Vanimo during final preparations before the Holy Father visited)

Participating pilgrims came in different age groups ranging from infants, children, the youth, men, women and the elderly. While some were fortunate enough to get on some form of transportation, most walked for three to four days to get to Vanimo, just like their brethren who walked from the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen to Port Moresby.

With the Papal Visit theme being ‘Pray’, the pilgrims committed themselves along with their faith and respective personal intercessions in prayer and sacrifice until they reached Vanimo.

With the Dioceses of Aitape and Vanimo considered to be in the peripheries of the local church here in PNG, one can only imagine the struggle and resilience the faithful faced.

Just as ‘Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth’, it was very generous and touching for the Holy Father, Pope Francis to go all the way to Vanimo to fulfil his dream of embracing the world’s remotest peripheries.

The Diocese of Aitape consists of three deaneries: Nuku, Lumi and Aitape and had almost five thousand (5000) pilgrims going to Vanimo from the 32 parishes.

The people stood proudly with hearts burning with great joy and a spirit of peace and harmony filled the atmosphere as the Holy Father graced them with his presence at the Esplanade in the Vanimo bringing to them the message of Hope.

Sentiments of satisfaction and joy was shared by all who were present as they had the opportunity of a lifetime to see the Vicar of Christ Jesus, Pope Francis in person and receive spiritual blessings from him.

Although the Holy Father’s visit was short, galleries of little mementos of the Holy Father in Vanimo and tales of his visit that brought hope to the people and will be told and passed down to the next generation.