Feast of Blessed Peter ToRot celebrated

THE Feast of Blessed Peter ToRot is celebrated in PNG and some parts of the world annually on July 7.
This year marked the 21st anniversary of his beatification by Saint Pope John Paul II in Port Moresby on Jan 17, 1995.
When reading the book on The Martyrs of PNG by the late Dr Theo Aerts MSC (editor), one is struck by the holiness, heroism and dedication of many priests, pastors, religious men and women, laymen and women of different nationalities and Christian denominations who served the Lord Jesus under very trying times and difficult situations in PNG during the second World War.
These men and women were selected from many hundreds of men and women in their communities.
They are all called martyrs because they endured intense suffering and totally offered their lives to relaying the gospel of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Blessed Peter ToRot of Rakunai village in East New Britain was one of them.
He stood out and represented them for Peter ToRot was the only martyr to be officially recognised and beatified as a martyr in the Catholic Church in PNG and the Pacific.
ToRot was born to Angelo ToPuia and Maria Ia Tumul in 1912, only 30 years after the arrival of the first missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the island of New Britain in 1882. His father ToPuia was among the first inhabitants of Rakunai to be baptised in1898.
ToPuia was also the chief of Rakunai. He and his wife Ia Tumul had four children – three boys and one girl.
ToRot was the third born in the family and was his father’s favourite child.
What endeared him to his father and later to the Parish Priest of Rakunai was ToRot’s personality.
He was a fun-loving child but was also noted for his strength of character and his spirit of piety and respect.
ToRot attended Mass daily and after his First Holy Communion also received Holy Communion daily.
Apart from his love for the church and his faith, ToRot also knew the tradition and cultural practices of the Tolai people.
Fr Carl Laufer MSC, the Parish Priest of Rakunai Mission was so impressed with ToRot’s character and personality that he raised with Chief ToPuia the possibility of ToRot studying for the priesthood.
However ToPuia rejected the idea saying that it was too early for such a thing.
But may be one of his future grand or great grandchildren might be called to the priestly ministry.
As for ToRot he was willing to allow him train to be a catechist.