Peter To Rot (1912-1945) Catechist – New Britain, PNG
This month Pope Leo XIV will canonise the first Catholic Papuan Saint – Bl. Peter ToRot as a Martyr for the Faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995 at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby with members of his family present. He was then declared as a “saint in the making” because of his defence of family life and the dignity of Christian marriage.
For over 40 years our Congregation has sent missionaries to Papua New Guinea. Being invited to join other religious by the new diocese of Mendi was a real proud moment for four RNDM Sisters: Srs Mary Bernadette, Mary Majella, and Margaret Dorizzi, to support the Australian mission in 1969 and Sr Marie Lawlor from the UKI province who had been missioned to Australia. This occasion of canonisation will mean much to those of us who have followed on and worked many years with Catechists and those preparing for a full religious life. Some of us lived among the tribal people in various villages, attending to their medical needs, sitting daily with women and children, as the men toiled in the gardens. For days on end, many of us shared the Good News of the Gospel with so many catechists and young seminarians so as to be part of their training to carry the gospel to many far outreaching places in the Highlands. For us, this was the greatest gift of our mission. One of our biggest memories will be sleeping under the stars, climbing mountains, slushing through mud, crossing rapid rivers and driving over precarious bridges often consisting only of two logs! The challenge of learning one or two of the 1000 languages used in PNG and to simply mingle in this unique culture of these remarkable Melanesian people, was for many of us a treasure we will always hold in our hearts and memory.
One great treasure will be the canonisation of the martyred Catechist, Peter ToRot who died holding his own against the Japanese during the Second World War. He died for the faith and on Oct 19th he will be canonised by Pope Leo X1V as the first Catholic saint not only for Papua New Guinea but for the New Britain region who suffered awful atrocities during the Second World War. Over the years, we have been privileged to work with catechists, preparing them to carry the faith forward and so this event will certainly be a recognition of the work done by thousands of men and women, young and old, who have chosen to carry the Word to the remote villages and to dedicate their lives to Christ.
Bai mipela askim Bikpela long givim blessim long ol husat bin wokmanmeri long dispela ministri na bambai ol i mekim oltaim wok bilong Bikpela. Pita i bin givim laip bilong em yet long dispela pipel, long ol manmeri na long kantri. Long pre bilong Pita To Rot mipela bambai stap wantaim ol Katekis, na long ol manmeri b’long Papua Niugini.
Peter ToRot Katekis Trenim Skul, Mendi Diocese – Catechists trained by RNDMs in Ialibu, Pangia, Kagua and Wiliame.