SVD - Celebrating 100 Years

Close ties with PNG Province 9 F r Wim Valckx is of Dutch origin. He was ordained in 1960 and assigned to PNG in 1962. After some years in pastoral work in the Sepik area the Bishop asked Fr Wim to take over training catechists. Fr Wim says it was a great gift to work with the catechist families. “When I was assigned to PNG, I felt a deep peacefulness in my heart. Those were wonderful years.” F r Jim Knight from Australia was ordained in 1966 and assigned to PNG in 1967. He was stationed in Koge in the Chimbu Highlands where he was involved in training cathecists for pastoral outreach. Fr Jim was the first Rector at the Divine Word College in Bomana, Port Moresby PNG. F r Henry Adler who grew up with both German and Polish cultures in post-war Poland, was in PNG as an overseas training student from 1993- 1995. Fr Henry was ordained in 1999 in New Zealand and assigned to PNG from 2000-2005. F r Anton Bulla was born in Poland. Not long after his ordination in 1961 he was assigned to PNG in 1965. After 10 years in pastoral work, the Bishop asked Fr Anton to take up Canon Law studies to help set up the Marriage Tribunal in the Highlands. He left PNG for Australia in 1996 after 31 years. F r Kevin Cantwell from Australia, was ordained in 1959. His first assignment was to PNG from 1976-2003 for pastoral work in the highlands. In his words: “I never felt afraid, the people took good care of me.” Fr Kevin returned to Australia in 2003 after 28 years of pastoral work in PNG A number of SVD priests now living in Australia spent many years as missionaries to PNG. They come from various parts of the world, but they share a deep love for PNG and its people and their ties there remain strong. F r Nick de Groot was born in the Netherlands and came to Australia when he was 10 years old. He was ordained in Brisbane in 1969 and assigned to teach in Port Moresby, PNG from 1972-1979. In 1990 he returned to PNG for another 19 years. F r Don Grant from Australia, first went to PNG as a lay missionary in 1959. He was later ordained in 1967 after studying at the Beda College in Rome and then returned to PNG where he spent more than 40 years in total. F r Stephan Gerdes was ordained in 1995 in his home country, Germany. He spent two years in PNG as an overseas training student from 1990- 1991, and then assigned to PNG in 1996 for seven years in pastoral ministry. He completed a diploma in Business Studies and managed the finances of PNG Province for nine years. F r Ennio Mantovani was born in Italy. He was ordained in 1958, studied Missiology in Rome and received his Doctorate in 1962. He was assigned to PNG and worked there for 35 years.