-----Original Message-----
From: Julian Fox <jbfox@is.com.fj>
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:@homer.is.com.fj; <Undisclosed-Recipient:@homer.is.com.fj;>
Date: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 6:59 PM
Subject: 'austraLAsia' #490

SALESIAN BISHOP FOR PNG

 

Fr. Alfred Maravilla, SDB

Port Moresby: 25th June -- Tonight at 8.00 pm (12.00 midday Roman time) it was announced that the Holy Father had appointed Fr. Francesco Panfilo, Delegate of the Provincial in PNG Bishop of Alotau,Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.

The Nuncio to PNG and Solomon Island, Archbishop Hans Schwemmer invited the Archbishop of Port Moresby and some Salesians for dinner during which Fr. Panfilo's appointment was announced. "This appointment is a sign of the appreciation that the Salesians have been doing in PNG these past 21 years" explained the Nuncio before proposing a toast in honour of the bishop elect.

"Duc in Altum" is the motto that bishop-elect Panfilo has chosen as his episcopal motto.

The first Marist missionaries arrived in Milne Bay but had to leave soon due to sickness and the hostility of the local inhabitants. In 1849 the PIME Missionaries came. In one of the Islands Blessed Giovanni Muzzoconi was martyred. Today from a total population of 120,000 inhabitants 40,000 are Catholics. The inhabitants of the mainland are Anglicans and United Church members while Catholics are mostly in the islands.

 Milne (pronounced Mi-len)Bay Province comprises both the extreme eastern end of Papua New Guinea and a host of islands, atolls and reefs. The mainland section of the province is extremely mountainous as the rugged Owen Stanley Range plunges abruptly into the ocean. East of the mainland, the Milne Bay Islands are made up of 160 named islands and 500 cays and atolls scattered over 250,000 square kilometres of ocean. The islands are enormously diverse, from the smallest islet barely breaking the surface of the sea, to the larger islands such as fergusson and Goodenough in the D'Entrecasteaux Group. Some of the islands have mountain peaks as high as 2400 metres, while the Trobriand Islands are virtually flat.

The Milne Bay Islands are divided into seven groups Trobriand, Woodlark, Laughlan, Louisiade Archipelago, the Conflict Group, the Samarai Group and the D'Entrecasteaux Group. The provincial centre is Alotau on the mainland.

Bishop-elect Panfilo came  to the Philippines immediately after his novitiate. He was appointed rector of Don Bosco Technical College, Mandaluyong at the age of 35.He was rector of the College for 8 years. From 1985 - 1987 he was Novice Master and from 1987-1993 Provincial,.1993-1996 he became Rector of the Studentate of Theology and from there was appointed to PNG in 1997 as delegate of the Provincial.