Nazareth House of Prayer

PERCHED up high on a ridge overlooking the Laloki River and the city of Port Moresby is the picturesque village of the Nazareth House of Prayer.
A beacon of hope for the weak and weary and the old and orphan, Nazareth is a time-old Congregation of the Handmaids of Our Lord that began its mission 100 years ago.
White stone and pebbled pathway, and well-manicured gardens together with its breathtaking view, makes Nazareth a perfect retreat.
Secluded far from the fast lane of life’s vanity and the hustle and bustle of the city, the environment here naturally profuses a serene and gentle calmness.
A place where the lost come to connect with their souls and the troubled seeks atonement with God.
On top of the crest is an old stoned church and a good courtyard– a cool open place to sit and contemplate.
A remnants of the old ushering in the new, with a statue of
St Mary cuddling baby Jesus, and the gentle play of light cast through the stained glasses of the church walls creating a shaded garden of stone and multi-coloured lights.
Its walls have been beautifully panelled with stained glasses and in the day, they are animated by changing light, which was essentially part of the ancient churches, illuminating the building and people within both literally and spiritually.
A sanctuary of prayer and meditation, Nazareth remains true with its initial establishment.
The call-up to the great vocation came as far as Europe. Missionaries – men and women – took the Lord’s call to go out to all the ends of the earth and teach the Good News and baptise people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
They came with a mission to venture into new lands and proclaim to the indigenous peoples and their cultures, the message of universal salvation in Jesus Christ and a commandment based on the principle of love God and thy neighbour.
Among these early missionaries came the founders of the Congre-
gation of the Handmaids in the 19th century and settled in Yule Island.
Bishop de Boismenu answered to the desire of young girls from St Patrick’s school who wanted to give themselves to God and established the Congregation of the Handmaids.
On the Feast of the Annunciation in 1918, the first five Handmaids received their veil of Postulants.
The little Congregation grew,
sending sisters to various districts of the then called Apostolic Vicariate of Papua. In November 1956, the mother house was transferred to Nazareth near Port Moresby.
This move helped the Congregation to spread to other dioceses and to receive vocations from different parts of Papua New Guinea, as well as from Australia.
This year, as we celebrated Easter, the Congregation of the Handmaids celebrated its 100
years of devotion to Christ and its ministry.
Vowed to serve Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, the sisters pray for the country and the issues affecting our nation.
Their work is mainly education, catechetic, pastoral and nursing.
Their spirit is summed up by the answer of Our Lady of the Angel: “Ecce Ancilla Domini”.

David Lepi
Port Moresby