Western Highlands farewells Kingal

National, Normal

THE arrival of the casket containing the remains of evangelist Pastor Joseph Kingal to Western Highlands attracted more crowd than Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare’s  visit to the province last month.
Thousands of mourners dressed in red, black and gold, which were the favourite colours of late Kingal, waited at the Kagamuga Airport and the Queen Elizabeth Park to receive the casket.
Governor Tom Olga declared a public holiday in the province yesterday as public servants, including school children turned up in big numbers in Mt Hagen city for the funeral.
According to the vehicles count by The National, a total of 96 vehicles of different makes and models made a long convoy stretching 1.5km from the airport to the city escorting the casket.
Thousands more people stood along the road to show their respect as the long convoy of vehicles slowly proceeded to the funeral service venue.
Hundreds of church leaders from different denominations in the highlands and other three regions also travelled into Mt Hagen yesterday for  the funeral.
Mourners were dressed in clean clothes at the funeral unlike in the past where mourners rubbed red and white earth all over their bodies carrying spears and marching around the casket when an important person in their community or province died.
The funeral was described by many yesterday as the biggest ever to be held in the city.
Dei MP Puri Ruing, who is also a relative of the late Kingal, told thousands of mourners Kingal’s family and the Dei people appreciated the warm reception.
He thanked Olga for declaring a public holiday and the state funeral for late Kingal like Morobe Governor Luther Wenge did in Lae.
Ruing said late Kingal had shown the way and urged other pastors to take up the challenge and move forward by continuing the work that late Kingal left behind.
The remains of late Kingal  would be laid to rest in his Gumanch village tomorrow.