<![CDATA[ Catholic Theological Institute, Bomana - News]]>Tue, 10 Aug 2021 22:22:57 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[CTI and COVID-19]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2020 00:48:28 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/cti-and-covid-19CTI is committed to following the directives of the PNG Government.

Following current guidance, CTI's campus has a no mask, no entry policy, and those coming in from outside will be subject to a temperature check. A handwashing sink is available for your use outside the library and hand sanitizer is provided throughout the campus.
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No mask, no entry!
]]><![CDATA[Archbishop Brian Barnes OFM RIP]]>Thu, 11 May 2017 04:35:11 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/archbishop-brian-barnes-ofm-ripArchbishop Brian Barnes OFM RIP

As Archbishop of Port Moresby, Brian Barnes was chair of the Governing Council of CTI for about 10 years.  The following obituary was written by the Australian Franciscan Province.

It is with great sadness that the Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Holy Spirit announce the death of Emeritus Archbishop Sir Brian Barnes OFM.

Brian James Patrick Barnes was born at Wingham in New South Wales on 23rd March 1933 to Arthur Keith Barnes (28/05/1986) and Eileen Barnes (nee Whereat, 9/02/1988). He joined the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in 1951 and was first professed on 18th February 1952. He was ordained a priest on 12th July, 1958.

As Father Brian Barnes, he was appointed to the mission of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in October 1959. He served as Assistant Priest in Aitape when he first arrived in the PNG Missions. He then served as Headmaster at Seleo Island and as a parish priest in Monandin, Nuku, Wati, Ningil and Lumi from 1960 until 1968.

In 1968 he was appointed as chaplain to the police of the Royal PNG Constabulary. He was based in Port Moresby but travelled extensively throughout Papua New Guinea. He served as the police chaplain from 1968 until 1988 when he took up his appointment as a bishop of the diocese of Aitape.

Father Brian was appointed as the Bishop of Aitape (PNG) on 3rd October, 1987 and ordained bishop of that diocese 10th February, 1988. He served in Aitape from 1988 until his appointment as Archbishop of Port Moresby.

Bishop Brian was appointed as the 7th Ordinary and the 4th Archbishop of Port Moresby on 14th June, 1997. He retired as the Archbishop of Port Moresby on 26th March, 2008.

Archbishop Barnes was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1982 and a Knight of the British Empire (KBE) in 2003. Perhaps his highest civil honour was bestowed on him in 2011 when he was made Grand Chief Commander of the Order of Logohu (GCL) in a ceremony which took place at Star of the Sea Friary in Waverley (NSW).

Archbishop Brian Barnes was a man totally dedicated to the people and the church in Papua New Guinea. He became a citizen of Papua New Guinea in 1976 and fought long and hard for the integrity and stability of his adopted homeland. He took on the cares and concerns of his people, spoke against corruption within the PNG government of his time, using his weekly radio address to reach his people, encourage goodness and challenge those who sought to do harm to his country. His courageous stance came at a cost to his personal health and safety.

Archbishop Brian returned to Australia as a consequence of health concerns and lived for a number of years at Star of the Sea Friary in Waverley. In his last years, he was a resident of Our Lady of Consolation Nursing Home at Rooty Hill.
Archbishop Brian is survived by his two brothers, Michael Barnes and Denis Barnes, and his sister, Maureen Dingelstad.
Mass of Christian Burial for Emeritus Archbishop Brian Barnes OFM will be celebrated at Mary Immaculate Church, 45A Victoria Street, Waverley, NSW, Australia on the 20th Day of May, 2017 beginning at 11am. At the conclusion of mass, the cortege will proceed to Macquarie Park for a cremation. The remains of Archbishop Brian Barnes will be interred at St Didacus Friary Cemetery, Aitape, Papua New Guinea.

For further details, please contact Br David Leary OFM, Provincial Secretary, on +61 2 9369 9302 or +61 418 601 580.

]]><![CDATA[2014 Graduation]]>Fri, 06 Feb 2015 01:03:47 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/2014-graduationThe 2014 Graduation was more poignant than usual, as CTI farewelled not only those graduating students who are moving on to ministry, but also the Marist Fathers and brothers, who are moving their formation programme to Fiji, as well as our President of seven years - and CTI lecturer for some 17 years - Fr David Willis, OP.  Here is Fr David's speech, along with some photos from the graduation.
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Most Rev John Ribat MSC, Archbishop of Port Moresby, Rev Fr Ben McKenna , Provincial of the Oceania Province of the Marist Fathers and our Graduation Speaker today, Fr Zenon Szablowinski SVD, Dean CTI, distinguished guests, Fr Jacek Tendej CM, Rector of Holy Spirit Seminary and Rectors of associated colleges, Faculty of CTI, clergy, religious brothers and sisters, graduating students and their families and friends, students and friends of CTI.

I now acknowledge our students graduating today. This is a very special day for each one of you, for your families, your friends and for all of us who have been part of your life and, in particular, have been part of your academic progress to this point.

This year it is a great pleasure for me to witness one of our Anglican priest-brothers graduating: Br Oswald Dumbari, Provincial Minister, Order of St Francis, graduating with the Diploma in Religious Studies. Congratulations to you Br Oswald.

To all our graduating students, may the diplomas and degrees you receive today be a reminder of your preparedness to contribute to both the life of the Church and the wider community in the coming years.

Some events that I want to highlight this year are:

Fr Franco Zocca SVD delivered the Annual Singkai Lecture on July 4, “How to Stop Sorcery Related Violence in PNG”. The lecture was appreciated by all who attended, evidenced by the lively discussion that followed.

Fr Giorgio Licini PIME conducted a successful symposium on Social Communication May 1-2 “Radio and the New Evangelization”

Sr Mary Claude Gadd presented a most informative workshop, “Understanding Child Protection and Building a Child Safe PNG” July 15.

Some other matters I want to mention:

Death of Fr Theo Aerts MSC and Fr Ziggy Cruczek CSMA

On 3 September CTI community offered a requiem Mass for both Frs Theo Aerts MSC and Ziggy Cruczek CSMA. Fr Theo made an outstanding contribution as a missionary to PNG in many fields. This included lecturing at Holy Spirit Seminary from the nineteen seventies to the early 1990s. Fr Theo passed away in Belgium after a long illness. Fr Ziggy had been lecturing at CTI since 2010. Indeed he had lectured at CTI in term 1 of this year and was due to lecture in term 3 but, after a short illness, lukemea, he passed away on 1st August while travelling home to Poland at Doha in the Persian Gulf.

Sadly two of our relatively very recent former students have died this year: Fr Jerry Inao, of Bereina Diocese and Fr Augustine Kaire, Archdiocese of Rabaul. Fr Augustine was at CTI for just one year, 2004, as a Salesian.

 

Some Farewells

Farewelling Staff and Rectors

This year we farewell Fr Luciano Odorico who has lectured at CTI for the past 13 years, Fr Fredy Jehadin, on the staff since 2010, and Mr Gideon Gioyvadulu who began lecturing in 2005. Fr Michael Igo will not be lecturing here next year. Also, Fr Manny Lapaz CM, now parish priest of Bomana Parish, will not be available for lecturing next year. Fr Gerard Savian MSC, rector for the past year of De Boismenu College, leaves for further studies and Fr Joe Quentaip, rector of Franciscan College, completes his three years as rector. I want to thank each one of our departing faculty members and rectors, for their contribution to CTI.

Farewelling the Marist Community

As most of us know, the Marists are leaving CTI at the end of the year. They have been part, first, of Holy Spirit Seminary, and then, of Catholic Theological Institute, since 1969, so it is a sad occasion to farewell Fr Justin Ratsi, the present rector, Fr Sione Hamala and the Marist students of 2014. We have present with us, Fr Ben McKenna, provincial of the Marist Oceania Province, to mark the occasion.

Over the years they have been with us The Marists have provided many lecturers and deans of studies, and have contributed to the cultural richness of CTI, with members of their community coming from PNG, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna Islands and New Caledonia. We know the decision of Fr McKenna and his council is grounded in the need to consolidate initial formation in one house, and we wish them well in their future formation endeavors.

Of course, the Marists leaving Marist College does not mean they will not have a presence in Port Moresby, and I hope CTI will continue to benefit from the Marist presence, in whatever shape it may take in the coming years. May I now, on behalf of CTI, thank the Marists through you Fr McKenna and Fr Ratsi, for your congregation’s contribution to HSS and CTI. Please convey our thanks to your confreres, especially those who have been associated with Marist College.

Further Thanks

I would like to also thank the following for their contributions to CTI this year: Abp Ribat and the Governing Council of CTI, the Rectors Board, the Faculty Board, the Academic Dean, Fr Zenon Szablowinski, Deacon Benjamin Bosili, outgoing SRC President, and the rest of this year’s SRC executive. I would like to thank the ancillary staff for its contribution to the daily life of CTI. And a big ‘thank you’ to all the students of 2014 for your contribution to the life of CTI.

At this point I would like also to thank Fr George Ryfa SVD, chair of the Rectors Board, for his contribution to the CTI community this year. Fr George is not here this morning, for, as most of us know, he had a mild heart attack in September and is presently in Poland, progressing well I hear, and hoping to return to CTI next year. Fr Zenon, would you pass on to Fr George our thanks and best wishes.

My departure

This is my last graduation celebration with you, as after seven years, I finish as President. Thank you everyone for your support over those years. I want to thank at this point, Fr Kevin Saunders, my provincial, present with us this morning and my fellow Dominicans at CTI: Fr Martin Wallace, rector of Dominican College, and all the members of the college.

I now wish everyone a fruitful end of year break and a peaceful Christmas and New Year. Thank you very much for your attention this morning.

Fr David Willis OP, President
]]><![CDATA[In Memory of Fr Ziggy Kruczek]]>Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:08:45 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/in-memory-of-fr-ziggy-kruczek
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Homily on the occasion of the Requiem Mass at Holy Spirit Seminary Chapel, September 3rd, for Fr Ziggy Kruczek CSMA by the President of CTI Fr David Willis OP

We gather at this Eucharist to farewell Fr Zdzislaw - Ziggy - Cruczek CSMA, who passed away on 1st August this year at Doha, the capital of Qatar, situated on the coast of the Persian Gulf, a country far from both his homeland Poland, and his mission field, PNG.

Some background for Fr Ziggy and CTI: by the end of 2009 CTI had lost all its Church History lecturers. Fr Tulio Cordero CM, had been elected provincial of the Vincentian Central American Province, and Fr Anthony Arthur MSC was no longer free to come to Bomana from Australia. Fr Valerian Fernandez, CTI’s dean at the time, contacted Fr Ziggy, who had been lecturing in Church History at both Good Shepherd Seminary and St Charles Borromeo Seminary to inquire if he was available to lecture in Church History at CTI. Fr Ziggy agreed and thus began his link with CTI which continued till his death. He was scheduled to be with us this term.

Death, in a sense, is natural. The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this point: “Our lives are measured by time, in the course of which we change, grow old and, as with all living beings on earth, death seems like the normal end of life.” ( CCC 1006) Indeed, the certainty that we will die, the Catechism goes on to say, “helps us to realize that we have only a limited time in which to bring our lives to fulfilment.” Fr Ziggy was blessed in this regard. He had recently told Fr Zenon that he had at last completed all the major tasks that had been asked of him.

But then the Catechism takes us into deep waters. “Even though human nature is mortal, God had destined humans not to die.... [Death] entered the world as a consequence of sin.”

Death was not part of God’s plan, as The Book of Wisdom states:

for God created us for incorruption,
and made us in the image of his own eternity,
but through the devil’s envy death entered the world,
and those who belong to his company experience it.

Death is the enemy, “the last enemy to be destroyed,” according to St Paul (1 Cor 15:26)

Did St Francis of Assisi get it wrong therefore, when, aware of his own approaching death, he added a verse to his poem, Canticle of the Sun, praising the Lord for Sister Death “from whose embrace no one can escape”? Brother sun, sister moon, yes, but how could he address our last enemy as a beloved family member?

The Catechism helps us with this dilemma when it says that “The obedience of Jesus [as he underwent suffering and death] has transformed the curse of death into a blessing.” (CCC 1009).

Death for the Christian, ever remaining “the last enemy to be destroyed”, has, in the words of the Catechism” a positive meaning”, (CCC, 1010). We see this expressed in our Mass theme today, taken from St Paul: “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” There is the blessing; there is the positive meaning of death: If to live is Christ, “to die is gain.”

Faith in Jesus Christ, which includes turning away from sin, the desire to be with Christ and to see God, for St Paul and St Francis overcame death, more precisely, overcame the fear of death. Death remains, and it remains the last enemy but the Christian can grasp the truth of St Paul’s words: “death where is your victory, where is your sting?”(1 Cor 15:55).

The Catechism , spelling out the positive meaning of death, says that death is “a step towards him [Christ] and an entrance into everlasting life” (CCC 1020), and that “in death, God calls man to himself.” (CCC 1010) St Francis called death his sister because it is ‘a step towards Christ, an entrance into eternal life, and in death we hear God’s call to us.

Fr Ziggy faithfully lived out his priestly and religious obligations expressed partly in his activities as a lecturer and the many projects he undertook. To mention some of these since his ordination 41 years ago: authoring 160 articles, writing many review articles, publishing eight books, serving as a seminary rector, parish priest, novice master and local superior. All this, and he had time for people. I lived with him at V H for long enough to know that. He was always cheerful - good company and part of the community.

The last prayers of the Church for Fr Ziggy included words of pardon and absolution; he was also ‘sealed ...with a strengthening anointing’ and given Christ “in viaticum as nourishment for the journey”.

The Church’s last prayers are also ones of assurance:

Go forth Christian soul, from this world....May your home be with God in Zion....May you return to [your Creator] who formed you from the dust of the earth...May you see your redeemer face to face...(Order of Christian Funerals, Prayer of Commendation).

Farewell Fr Ziggy; we thank the Lord for you and what you have given to us in your generosity of heart, and we pray that the Lord in his mercy pardons your failings and sends his angels, with St Michael the Archangel at the head, to whom you had a special devotion, to lead you into paradise. Eternal rest grant to Fr Ziggy O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.


Fr David Willis OP

President
Catholic Theological Institute
3 September, 2014

]]><![CDATA[President's Graduation Speech, 2013]]>Sat, 16 Nov 2013 11:17:49 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/presidents-graduation-speech-2013Picture
  Most Rev John Ribat MSC,  Arch-bishop of Port Moresby, Most Rev. Don Lippert OFM Cap., Bishop of Mendi, our Graduation Speaker this morning, Rt Rev. Peter Ramsden, Anglican Bishop of Port Moresby, Fr Ben Fleming MSC, Vicar General of the Diocese of Port Moresby and Chairman of the Rectors' Board, Fr Peter Artiken, Rector of Holy Spirit Seminary, Fr Zenon Szablowinski SVD, Dean of CTI, Distinguished Guests, Rectors of associated colleges, and faculty of CTI, clergy, religious brothers and sisters, graduating students and their families and friends, students and friends of CTI

I now acknowledge our 37 students graduating today. This is a very special day for each one of you, for your families, your friends and for all of us who have been part of your life and, in particular, have been part of your academic progress to this point.

This year it is a great pleasure for me to witness three of our Anglican priest-brothers graduating: Br Oswald Dumbari, Provincial Minister, Order of St Francis, graduating with the Diploma in Religious Studies and Fr George Kasme and Fr Luscomb Bera, graduating with the Advanced Diploma of Religious Studies. Congratulations to the three of you.

Also I would like to single out for special mention another one of our graduating students, Mr Alfred Kaiabe. Alfred, a practising lawyer, is graduating today with the Diploma in Religious Studies. He began his studies in 2003. But his many commitments over the years have meant that his academic journey has been a slow and deliberate one. Congratulations, Alfred, both for persevering with your studies over those many years and for meriting the Diploma in Religious Studies.

To all our graduating students, may the diplomas and degrees you receive today be a reminder of your preparedness to contribute to both the life of the Church and the wider community in the coming years.

Today brings to a close our Golden Jubilee year of HSS-CTI. Holy Spirit Seminary celebrated over the long weekend from Friday 23rd August till Sunday the 25th August. The late Bishop Tony Burgess joined us on this occasion while knowing that he had only a short time to live. He passed away just two months later on the morning of October 23rd. Also, sadly, we recall the death of Bishop Patrick Taval MSC, a graduate of this institute and a member of its Governing Council when he passed away in April, a few weeks after the CBC General Assembly. We remembered them both in our Liturgy this morning.

CTI’s own day given to the Golden Jubilee celebrations was Friday 26th June, CTI Day. There were many highlights of that day, if I could name two: the dialogue, after the community meal, with the students and Archbishop Ribat, Bishops Rochus Tatamia, John Doaninowel and Bernard Una-bali. The other highlight for me, was the Singkai lecture delivered by Fr Jurgen Ommerborn SVD, entitled, “the Early Academic Development of the Holy Spirit Seminary – the Roots of CTI”.

Another important event that I want to highlight this year was the Seminar “Social Networks: Portals of Truth And Faith; New Spaces For Evangelization” organzed by Fr Giorgio Licini PIME, secretary to the Catholic Bishops Conference for Social Communications. We plan to have a further seminar on social communications in 2014.

You may have noticed scaffolding around the building opposite the CTI Library. In this Jubilee Year our staff residence, Vangeke House, is in the process of undergoing renovations. I want to publicly thank two funding agencies for their support of this work: Missio Munich and Church in Need, Konigstein.

Farewelling Staff

This year we farewell Sr Elizabeth Dowling RSM. Sr Elizabeth has only been with us for a term, but we are most thankful for her contribution to campus life. We wish you well, Sr Elizabeth, in your future academic work at the Australian Catholic University, Ballarat Campus.

Brian Gleeson CP left us in early October after a demanding five-week lecturing schedule. We are also most grateful for his significant contribution this year to CTI.

We also farewell, for a one year sabbatical, Fr Fredy Jehadin SVD. Thank you Fr Fredy for your contribution to CTI over the past few year. We wish you well during your period of renewal in Melbourne, Australia and we hope to see you back at CTI in 2015.

Though they are not lecturers at CTI, we farewell Fr Peter Miria, Vice-Rector of HSS and Fr Arthur Boland OFM. Fr Peter has been with us these last three years. Fr Arthur is returning to Australia after spending forty eight years in PNG.

Finally, we farewell Fr Peter Artiken, Rector of Holy Spirit Seminary. Fr Peter has been associated with Holy Spirit Seminary, first as Vice-Rector, then as Rector, for the last thirteen years. Thank you Fr Peter for your support over the past six years. On behalf of the CTI community I wish you well in your future ministry.

I would like to thank the following for their contributions to CTI this year: the Governing Council, the Rectors Board, the Faculty Board, the Academic Dean, Fr Zenon Szablowinski, Elias Zambra, SRC President and the rest of the outgoing SRC executive. Finally I would like to thank the ancillary staff for its contribution to the daily life of CTI.

I now wish everyone a fruitful end of year break and a peaceful Christmas. Thank you very much for your attention this morning.

Fr David Willis OP

President
Catholic Theological Institute

16 November, 2013
]]><![CDATA[Holy Spirit Seminary Celebrates Golden Jubilee]]>Fri, 30 Aug 2013 05:42:37 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/holy-spirit-seminary-celebrates-golden-jubileePicture
Holy Spirit Seminary, the largest formation institution for diocesan seminarians in PNG, celebrated its Golden Jubilee at its Bomana Campus from Friday 23rd till Sunday 25th August. The weekend was well attended and was filled with music, dancing, speeches and Masses. By Sunday evening there were a lot of tired but happy faces on the seminary grounds. Celebrations got under way on Friday afternoon when the Kivori Poe village people presented traditional dancing at the spot where classes were held after the seminary transferred from Madang in the late nineteen sixties.

The highlight of Saturday morning’s celebrations was the Golden Jubilee Mass celebrated by Archbishop Ribat MSC. Concelebrants included the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Michael Barach, Archbishop Young and Bishops Burgess and Blouin. A good number of priests, religious and laity all took part in the Mass. Speeches followed and then the rest of the day was celebrated in traditional style with dancing and musical entertainment. Archbishop Young was the celebrant at Sunday morning Mass and afterrwards traditional dancing continued from the Siassi , Nabupaka, Kivori Poe communities and others. At the conclusion of the Mass Bp Blouin presented to Holy Spirit Seminary a First Class Relic of St John Vianny, Curé of Ars and the patron saint of parish priests, accepted with appreciation by Abp Young on behalf of the Rector, Fr Peter Artiken.
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Fr Peter Miria, the chairman of the Jubilee Organizing Committee, and himself a member of one of the early group of seminarians – he began his studies at Holy Spirit Seminary in 1968 - was delighted with the weekend. “It has given us an opportunity to thank God for his blessings over the past fifty years and to acknowledge and thank so many bishops, priests and laity who continue to support us. We look forward with confidence to the seminary’s future years.” Fr Peter Artiken, himself a student at the seminary in the mid 1980s, also expressed his satisfaction with the weekend and thanked the organizers and all who attended. He too, expressed his thanks to benefactors and all who helped organize the weekend. The weekend events were the culmination of many years of planning. Fr David Willis, the president of Catholic Theological Institute, the institution responsible for the academic formation for seminarians, gave a brief outline of the seminary’s history.
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“It began in 1963 at Kap, Madang. In that year there were about thirty students from various regions of the country: Manus Island, Bougainville, Yule Island, Wewak, Goroka and four students were from the Solomon Islands. In 1965 the bishops decided to transfer Holy Spirit Seminary to Bomana, thus establishing one major seminary in the country for clerical religious and seminarians, staffed by MSC and SVD priests. Over time other religious orders built houses on the seminary campus.”

Many development have taken place over the years, Fr Willis commented, especially since the early nineties with the emergence of other seminaries in PNG and the Solomon Islands, and the establishment of Catholic Theological Institute in 1999, but today’s celebration is an important milestone for the Catholic Church in this country.”

- Fr David Willis, O.P.
President of CTI
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]]><![CDATA[President's 2012 Graduation Speech]]>Mon, 19 Nov 2012 03:32:24 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/presidents-2012-graduation-speechPicture
Saturday, 17 November 2012

Most Rev John Ribat, Most Rev. Rochus Tatamai, distinguished guests, Rectors and Faculty of CTI, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, graduating students and their families and friends, students and friends of CTI,

I especially acknowledge today the Graduating students of 2012. This is a very special day for you, for your families, your friends and, indeed, for all of us who have been part of your academic progress to this point.

This year and next brings us to a period of anniversaries. 2012, in particular, has been a significant anniversary year for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Fifty years ago, in 1962 De Boismenu Seminary came into existence, and so on October 6th this year the MSCs commemorated its Golden Jubilee. The occasion was marked by the celebration of Mass, followed by lunch and cultural presentations. Bishop Taval, a past student of De Boismenus College, as it is now called, was the main celebrant, and amongst the dignitaries present was the Superior General of the MSC’s Very Rev. Fr. Mark McDonald and the Deputy Prime Minister of PNG, the Rt Hon. Leo Dion. Congratulations from all of us go to Fr Ben Fleming, the present Rector of the College, and to his MSC confreres for their contribution, first to Holy Spirit Seminary, and since 1999, to Catholic Theological Institute.

Holy Spirit Seminary began its Golden Jubilee celebrations this year which will conclude next year for on March 1st 1963 Holy Spirit Seminary came into existence at Kap, near Madang, staffed by the Society of the Divine Word. In 1968 it moved to Bomana, and De Boismenu Seminary affiliated to it. 1st March 2013 therefore will be a significant date for Fr Peter Artiken, Rector of Holy Spirit Seminary, and its staff and seminarians. It will also be a significant day for the Society of the Divine Word under whose auspices Holy Spirit Seminary came into existence. These are the celebrations of the two foundational entities from which CTI came to be in 1999 and thus are therefore profoundly significant for Catholic Theological Institute itself.

2012 has also been notable for the completion of two new buildings on campus. The Capuchin Friars have transformed their old friary into a fine building and the Dominicans have added a wing to their present college. My congratulations to the rectors of the two colleges: Fr Jonathan Williams and Fr Martin Wallace.

This year we farewell three lecturers, Frs Justin Eke, Ben Madden and Tom McDonough: I Thank Fr Justin for his contribution to CTI over the past 4 years. Fr Justin will undertake post graduate studies in Rome in the near future. Fr Ben Madden returns early next year to the United States, having spent over 50 years in PNG, including a number of years lecturing at CTI. Fr Tom McDonough leaves us at the end of this academic year as has been elected provincial of the Australian province of the Passionists. We congratulate him on his election and wish him well in his new role. We hope to see him from time to time when he comes to PNG on visitation. Today we also farewell Fr Kiade Rayalu, Rector of Marist College. I thank him for his contribution to CTI over the past 3 years and wish him well in his new appointment that will take him to New Caledonia.

CTI has enjoyed a long association with the Anglican Church in PNG and it is a great pleasure for me to witness today two of our Anglican brothers graduating with the Diploma in Religious Studies, Fr George Kasme and Fr Luscomb Bera. Congratulations to you both.

On a sad note I mention the recent deaths of two past students of CTI, Fr Toma’ Akino Lakai SM from Tonga and Mr Chris Ulena from Buka. They died in the same car accident on Buka just a few days ago. We prayed for them at our Eucharist this morning and I offer my condolences to Fr Kiade and the Marist community. May Toma and Chris rest in peace.

On a happier note, I would like to thank the following for their contributions to CTI this year: the Governing Council, the Rectors Board, the Faculty Board, the Academic Dean, Fr Zenon Szablowinski, the outgoing SRC executive and, last but not least, the ancillary staff. Amongst the ancillary staff I want to single out, Mrs Dulcie Siriman who is retiring after working for ten years at CTI. Our thanks to Dulcie for her long years of service to CTI in administration. We wish her every blessing and success in her future endeavors.

Finally, dear graduating students, may the diplomas and degrees you receive today be a reminder to you of your preparedness to contribute generously to both the life of the Church and the wider community in the coming years.

I now wish everyone a fruitful end of year break and a peaceful Christmas. Thank you very much.

Fr David Willis OP.
[President, Catholic Theological Institute]
]]><![CDATA[Ministry of Reader conferred on eleven students]]>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:03:28 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/ministry-of-reader-conferred-on-eleven-studentsPicture
On Wednesday, 20th July, Archbishop Ribat conferred the Ministry of Reader on eleven men who are preparing for priesthood at CTI.

The Ministry of Reader is a lay ministry, (lay ministries have replaced what were formerly called "minor orders") but the discipline of the Church requires that all candidates for the priesthood are instituted as Readers and spend some time in its exercise prior to priestly ordination.

Here we see the Archbishop handing the book of sacred scripture  to one of the new Readers.  In his remarks to the new readers, the Archbishop emphasised that ministries are "for the sake of the people". We celebrate not a rite of glorifying the recipients, but one of commissioning them to service:  service to the Word of God, service to the People of God.
Those instituted as readers this year were:

Diocese of Bereina
Mr Vincent Molova

Society of Mary:
Br. Ambrose Kakatai, SM
Br. Peter Puamae, SM
Br. Adrian Meuka, SM
Br. Xavier Sariman, SM

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Br Patrick Herok , OFM Cap
Br Isaiah Ita, OFM Cap
Br Freddie Turkik, OFM Cap

Society of the Divine Word                  
Br Charles Manuba
Br Mark Okuk
Br Felix Wik Maine

Congratulations, all!


]]><![CDATA[New Deacon for Missionaries of the Sacred Heart]]>Sat, 18 Sep 2010 08:00:13 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/new-deacon-for-missionaries-of-the-sacred-heartOn Saturday, 11th September, Archbishop Ribat ordained Rev Casmiro Kito, MSC, as deacon.  Some fine photos were taken of this auspicious event ...
]]><![CDATA[Diaconate ordination starts the year]]>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:01:23 GMThttp://www.cti.ac.pg/news/first-post2010 got off to a good start with the ordination of a deacon - Brother Timothy Aihora of the Dominicans - as a deacon.  Sadly, Bishop Cherubim, seen here praying the Prayer of Ordination, passed from this life later in the year.  Our new deacon is currently undertaking pastoral training at St Joseph's, Boroko.
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