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Kundiawa's pioneer Bishop
By BUSTIN ANZU
The installation of
Bishop Anton Bal as Kundiawa Catholic Diocese's Auxiliary Bishop
marks another colourful work of the church in Simbu Province.
Kundiawa Diocese has dominated the Highlands region by producing
some of the best and finest priests in recent years. All those
come with joy of how far the church has grown spiritually and
dwell in the numbers of parishioners.
The work of the early bishops, priests, deacons, brothers,
sisters, nuns, catechists and the parishioners have set the
foundation to what they witnessed last month.
Those events that unfolded were the benchmark of developments -
both for spiritual growth and church's maturity.
Simbu, geographically isolated and economically behind scheduled
has seen those changes with open heart. Such occasion can bring
delight to the populous and can change the lives and minds of
the locals.
Evangelism of the Catholic Church in Simbu started in 1933, 75
years ago when Fathers Schaefer, Cranseen, Brother Anton and
Kawage left Bundi, the hinterlands of Madang Province and set
foot for Simbu via Mondia Pass.
They were followed by other missionaries with the understanding
to spread the goodness and establish universal church which is
Catholic.
The missionaries continued from the apostles who spread the word
of God through out the world.
The approach and methods used by the early missionaries in Simbu
were more or less in line with the plans given by their
superiors.
Their primary task was first to preach, proclaim and spread the
good news of Christ and secondly their missionary activities -
how their preaching would take effect in the lives and culture
of the people.
The killing of two missionaries in 1934 and 1935 in Gembogl
became the rays of the truth and seed of the word of God. The
blood of two missionaries cultivated and prepared for the word
of God to grow among the people of Simbu.
The church is a community of people, a relationship and that the
source of such community of people is not to be found in social
structures or organization but in the presence and activity of
the spirit who unite the faithful with Christ. This is the
strength of the church for the past 75 years.
The Catholic Church in Simbu just celebrated its 25 years Silver
Jubilee. On that day 25 years ago, the church in Simbu separated
from Goroka diocese.
It was given a new lease of life by having its own diocese and
Bishop William Kurtz was given the task to establish and lead
the new diocese.
After 25 years under the stewardship of Bishops Kurtz (18)
years, Henk te Maarssen (7) years, and 50 years of other
Bishops, the church in Simbu has seen dramatic changes, changes
in many pastoral activities targeting families, villages and
communities and the result has seen more Christians have
strengthen their faith.
Among those changes more recently was the installation of their
local priest Father Anton Bal as the head of their diocese.
Bishop Anton Bal was installed as the pioneer local Bishop for
the Kundiawa Diocese on September 10, 2007 at St Mary's
Cathedral in Kundiawa.
That ordination will go down in Kundiawa Catholic Diocese record
book as ordaining a local priest as a Bishop of the diocese.
Bishops, priests and other laymen within Kundiawa and nearby
highlands provinces, as well as around the country converge at
Kundiawa four-kona town to witness the historical event.
Amongst them were the devoted Kundiawa's own local priests who
gathered to see the fruits of their pastoral activities.
During the ordination, Kundiawa diocese bishop, Bishop Henk Te
Maarssen told bishop-appoint Anton Bal that their church had
grown from strength to strength and the burden to look after his
fellow parishioners would not be easy.
Bishop Henk said: "You must be committed to Christ to lead the
church. The first promise is to proclaim the message with your
deacons and continue with the tradition of the church. You must
look after your parishioners...and at the same time spread the
word of God to others. "
Bishop Henk said priests from other parts of the world have lend
a hand in the church and what they have witness was what those
early laymen had offered 75 years ago.
14 Catholic Bishops in Papua New Guinea including Archbishop
Francisco Padilla Apostolic Nuncio were present to witness the
ordination.
Archbishop Nuncio Francisco told Bishop-elect Anton that the
Kundiawa Diocese was at his hands.
He said there were many things in life that would be challenging
in his work as the head of the Diocese but things wont be done
overnight. It would take time.
Father John Garia, a former local priest of Kundiawa Catholic
Diocese and now Simbu Governor pledge his support to work with
the churches in the country.
"As the head of the province and as a representative of the
government, our government will work with the church...and I
also challenge every Christian members of this church to toil
their land so that they can support the church to prosper. We
must not be dependent but self reliant so that our church can
mature."
Father Luke Apa, a lecturer from Bomana Seminary and a priest
mate of both Simbu Governor and the bishop-appoint said their
diocese do not have a local bishop and the occasion in itself is
history.
Bishop Anton Bal was born on June 13 1964 in the hamlets of
Modara, Gumine district, Simbu Province.
In 1972 he attended Omdara Community School, near his village
when he was eight years old. He later entered Gumine High School
in 1979 to do his Grade Seven. In 1981, after completing Grade
10, he was baptized at Yuri Parish, Gumine.
Armed with a Grade 10 High School Certificate and with
recommendations from his local Yuri Parish priest, he entered
Bomana Catholic Seminary in 1982.
His eight years of seminary studies came to an end when he was
ordained a deacon on the 11th of November 1990.
The following year, December 17, he was ordained as a priest at
St Mary's Cathedral, Kundiawa. He was ordained alongside former
priest and current Simbu Governor Father John Garia and Father
Luke Apa.
They were ordained by founding Kundiawa Diocese Bishop William
Kurtz (who was still the Bishop of Kundiawa diocese).
Fr. John Garia turned to become a politician and head of the
province while Father Luke Apa and bishop-appoint Anton Bal
continue their pastoral duties with Anton being consecrated with
the highest honour in their church.
For the next 11 years, he was doing his pastoral work in some of
the Parishes in Simbu. Those include Yobai and Nondri parishes,
Denglagu, Maria Nomano Parish at Mai and St Michael parish at
Koge.
Between June and December 2003 he went for a refresher course in
Philippines.
Upon his arrival in 2004, he was appointed the Vicar General of
Kundiawa diocese and at the same time, doing pastoral work for
St. Mary's Parish in Kundiawa. After four years, he was elevated
with another appointment.
On June 5 this year, he was installed as Auxiliary Bishop which
culminates with the Episcopal ordination on September 10 as a
Bishop - the same cathedral where he was ordained a priest 16
years earlier.
With the installation of the bishop-appoint, the church in Simbu
was deemed matured, vibrant, and ready to take the leadership
and work forward for the salvation of its people.
That was the result of good work established by the missionaries
who have sown the catholic believe in the region - some have
died in line of duties, some retired due to aging and some are
still living and working with them today.
Some names that would be souvenirs in the history of Kundiawa
Diocese for the generations to come are Bishops: Francis Wolf,
John Cohill, Raymond Cessar, William Kurtz and Henk teMaarssen.
The Fathers would be Alphones Schaefer, William Ross, John
Niles, Henry Aufenanger, Anthony Cranseen, Tropper William, John
Wald and others.
Brothers Anton Bass and Frank Eugene would also be acknowledge
with Fr. Karl Morschheuser and Brother Eugene for sowing the
seed and water with their blood.
Others are laymen Alphones Kawage, Nime John and local carriers
from the coast, catechists John Penda, Papa Joseph Teine (Kundiawa/Gembogl
MP Joe Mek Teine's dad) and Karrel Bongre, SVD missionaries, De
La Sale Brothers, Holy Spirit Sisters, Sacred Heart Sisters,
Sisters of St Theresa, Sisters of St Ann, Salesian priests and
Brothers and Sisters of Don Bosco.
 
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