Bishop walks the talk

BISHOP Josef Roszyski, affectionately known as Big Joe, is a popular figure in Wewak town and everywhere in his diocese he goes.
As bishop of Wewak Diocese, he regularly makes pastoral visits to outstations in the province, driving, riding by banana boat to the Wewak Islands or by motorised dugout up and down the Sepik.
“Mipela ino save westim taim, mipela save wokim samting stret,” he remarked after confirming 377 Catholic faithful in the Ambunti area of East Sepik recently.
From the Ambunti station, located along the Sepik River, he travelled half an hour upstream to Apan village to bless a chapel.
During his four-day stay, the bishop saw how keen the people were in taking ownership of the church.
“People feel they are the church. I’m impressed with the way the church is going.”
The bishop, who has covered the length and breadth of the province, gets along well with the people and speaks fluent Tok Pisin too.
He travels out to islands offshore form wewak, or drives up the bumpy Sepik Highway towards Angoram, Yangoru, Saussia, Maprik, Wosera, Gawi, Ambunti and Dreikikir. Or travels along the Kokonas Highway (West Coast) in the Wewak district which also links West Sepik, on God’s mission.
These are pictures from his recent trip to the Ambunti area where he confirmed youngsters into the church, blessed a new church building and simply spent time with the faithful. In return, his flock who would not see him depart empty-handed gave him gifts including a pig and a crocodile.