MUMBAI, India – Pope Francis leaves on Monday for a visit to four island nations across southeast Asia and Oceania, with the second country being Papua New Guinea.
The 87-year-old pontiff will be in the country from September 6-9. Papua New Guinea, with an official population of about 9 million, has around 2.5 million Catholics.
On his second day in the country, Francis will be entertained by street children in the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, the capital.
In the archdiocese, the Sisters of the Society of the Heart of Jesus take care of children from poor settlements, including boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 14.
“The primary purpose of the street ministry is to ensure underprivileged children have the same opportunities as others, providing them with essential necessities and enhancing their education for a brighter future,” said Sister Angela Periyanayagam, an Indian-born member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph Cluny.
The street children ministry in Papua New Guinea was born thanks to the vision of Cardinal John Ribat, who was inspired by a group of poor girls in Port Moresby who asked him for food.
In 2010, Sister Marilyn Soeder and several other missionaries began their work with a group of 20 children, who now number about a hundred.
Together with Sister Angela, three other sisters and three teachers, they take care of street children, both boys and girls.
“Most of them come from single parents, broken families or are abandoned,” the Indian sister said.
“How do we get these children? We go to the different settlements to meet them as well as their parents and give them awareness regarding the program in the street ministry,” the missionary said.
“The street ministry provides different programs for children such as basic literacy and numeracy, catechism, moral lessons, food and yoga. We offer classes four days a week,” she continued.
“When the children are able to read and write, we enrol them in the mainstream school to continue their education and do the follow-up. At present, we have nearly 40 children in 10 different schools,” Sister Angela told Crux.
Ultimately, the missionary said the aim is to give the children basic literacy and numeracy skills and assist them to enter the formal education system or acquire a skill to ensure their livelihood in the future.
“What we wish through the street ministry is to instill a legacy of hope in the future generation, who are underprivileged, and thus spread the love of God and care for them,” Sister Angela said.
“On September 7, we have a half hour meeting with Pope Francis, where the children will give a performance of cultural dances,” she explained
She said around 700 children with their parents will assemble at the Caritas Technical Higher Secondary School. The India-born missionary said three groups have come together for this event: The first from the Archdiocese of Port Moresby with her street children; the second from the Missionaries of Charity, with their children; and the third group from the Callan Sisters, with their differently abled children.
Francis is scheduled to leave Rome on September 2 and return to the Vatican on September 13.
The pope travels first to Indonesia, where he will land on September 3 and leave September 6. He will then travel to Papua New Guinea, and from September 9-11 he will be in Timor-Leste, before ending his Asia trip in Singapore.
