austraLasia #2356

Prayers requested for seriously injured Salesian

PORT MORESBY: 12th February 2009 -- Fr Andrew Wong, Regional Councillor for EAO, writes "Prayers are urgently needed for one of our young missionaries in Papua New Guinea. He is a Vietnamese Salesian, Fr Anthony Nguyen Ngoc Dung. He was seriously injured by one of the boys who was drunk. He is working in a very remote place and our Salesians are now trying to bring him to the capital for better treatment".
    Not all details of the attack are known, but it appears that Fr Anthony was viciously attacked from behind by a drunken senior student in Vanimo, where the Salesians have a secondary school. The extent of Fr Anthony's injuries required immediate hospitalisation and surgery in Vanimo, and once he has stabilised sufficiently he is to be airlifted to Port Moresby, a flight of some five hours.  In requesting prayers, Fr Wong adds, "I know and believe in the power of your prayer. Thank you".
    Vanimo is in PNG's northwestern Sandaun province, just 30 kms or so from the border with Indonesian-controlled Irian Jaya. It is dependent largely on the timber industry. The town is prime Salesian territory in that it has all the hallmarks of youth in desperate need. The Church and civil authorities have long been concerned with the extent of alcohol and drug abuse and rascal* activity
GLOSSARY
rascal: a PNG term for gangs which are violent and pervasive in the nation
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Title: australasia 2356
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces PNG-SI Salesian injured
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2356