MARIAN Valley will host about 80 Port Moresby Catholics to pray alongside the Brisbane Papua New Guinea Catholic Community for the blessing and opening of a chapel dedicated to Blessed Peter To Rot on January 19.
PNG Cardinal John Ribat will fly from Port Moresby to lead the celebration and blessings, coinciding with 25 years since Blessed Peter was beatified on January 17.
Carmelite Father Paul Sireh, former Coorparoo parish priest and chaplain of the Australian PNG Catholic Community, said he expected about 400 people to be at the liturgy.
He said the PNG Catholic Community was “very enthused” and had been raising funds for the event, doing walkathons and printing T-shirts.
A statue of Blessed Peter was also commissioned from Sydney, and Fr Sireh said it was “truly stunning” and had been paid for by fundraising.
Blessed Peter was a martyr and lay catechist who was entrusted with a local parish during the Second World War when Japan occupied the region.
He stood up for religious values in the face of oppression and held secret services under the imperial rule.
“Everyone is welcome to celebrate with us,” Fr Sireh said.
