Retired Catholic bishop passes on

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
THE Catholic Diocese of Lae is mourning the death of retired Bishop Emeritus Christian Blouin, who passed away on Saturday morning in Lae.
Vicar-general of the diocese Fr Arnold Schmitt said the late bishop was visiting a construction company near the Markham Bridge on Saturday morning when he had a heart attack.
“He wanted to get a financial break up or a quote for an education project he was working on,” he said.
“He wants to help a parish in Watut village, in Bulolo, construct a classroom for its primary school.
“He wanted to get the cost of construction so he could help get funds from Canada.
“He collapsed during discussions and was rushed to Angau Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”
Schmitt said the late bishop’s last work was an education project and it reflected his life and work.
Director of Catholic FM Radio, Fr Brian Nonde, said Blouin had been bishop of the Lae Diocese for 12 years and had always supported communities.
“Since 1989, Blouin has been working in various places within the diocese of Lae,” Nonde said. “He was at first parish priest of the All Saints Parish in the Bumbu Settlement. Later he was assigned to the St Patrick’s Parish in the Tent City settlement.
“It was there that he carefully built up the young community and developed a bare block of land into a flourishing station with a parish church, a community hall and a primary school.
“The Catholic community at St Patrick’s, as we have it now, is clearly a stamp of the mission work of the late bishop.” He become bishop in 2007.