Priest celebrates last mass

 THE St Martin De Porres Catholic parish in Morata, Port Moresby, hosted the last mass on Sunday with Fr Richard Laruch before he returned to Canada.

Priest of St Martin De Porres parish Fr Razario Menezes described Fr Laruchas a person of humility who always humbled himself in everything he did and never asked for recognition. 

Fr Laurch said he came to Papua New Guinea in September 1967 and served the people of Kiunga in the Daru diocese of Western under the Montfort Missionaries. 

He said PNG was a beautiful country and different. 

He recalled trying to learn two languages the first time he came to the country.

He was sad to leave because he had made a lot of friends and colleagues in the country.  

But he was happy that he had helped a lot of people. 

St Martin De Porres Parish in Morata is under the Montfort Missionaries, the only parish apart from the ones in Western. 

The missionaries are helping to improve the legacy of Morata and have opened a clinic to help the Morata community.