Carmelite, Fr Paul Sireh, chaplain to the Australian PNG Catholic Community, says that a new chapel dedicated to Blessed Peter To Rot will open on 17 January. PNG Cardinal John Ribat will fly from Port Moresby to lead the celebration at the chapel in Marian Valley, in the Gold Coast Hinterland, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Blessed Peter's beatification.
Blessed Peter was a martyr and lay catechist who was entrusted with a PNG parish during World War II when Japan occupied the region. He stood up for religious values in the face of oppression and held secret services under the imperial rule.
Fr Paul said that he was expecting about 400 people to join in the ceremony for the blessing of the new Chapel and a new statue which has also been commissioned by the PNG community. Paul, originally from Manus Island, PNG, is a member of the Carmelite Province of Australia & Timor-Leste.
