The second mission of Australia Needs Fatima to Oceania was to Papua-New Guinea for three weeks starting on October 15.
The centre of this pilgrimage was Manus Island, its regional capital, Lorengau, the centre of a large archipelago, and a centre which has a deep devotion to Our Lady. We had a large number of requests for a visitation and so the aim was to bring the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima to as many villages as possible.
Our Catholic lay missionary, Paul Folley, first arrived in Port Moresby where the Pilgrim Statue was greeted and blessed at the cathedral by the Bishop of Papua-New Guinea and where the statue was put on public display.
And then to Lorengau, Manus Island...
The Pilgrim Statue was greeted by a large crowd, the provincial governor, a procession, and a convoy to the official reception in town. Here representatives of many parishes gave speeches, and the people carried the statue in procession accompanied with dancing and drums to St Michael's Catholic Church. And here it stayed for several days the centre of 24-hour events including devotions, song, readings, and visitations by Catholic groups, such as the Legion of Mary.
And then to the villages of Manus Island...
The Pilgrim Statue was taken to about 40 villages over the next two weeks. Most of the villages were sprinkled round the coast and so transport was by motorised canoe, although sometimes visitations were made to villages inland which required long treks up into the hills and rain forest.
The Village Welcome
The typical village welcome started at the beach where the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima was met by a reception party of elders and catechists and carried in procession to the village. On the way children sang songs of welcome, beat drums and danced about Our Lady. Woven gift baskets and floral garlands were placed on and about her.
And then Our Lady was crowned by the village. This was the most important occasion for the village. Before the crowning, Paul would give a talk about the importance of Our Lady appearing at Fatima and the message she gave to the world. The village elders and catechists would give speeches of welcome and then people approached the statue to make their private devotions. After the crowning the statue would then be welcomed at the local school.
Devotional Fervour
The most noticeable practise among the Papuans was their unselfconsciously intense devotion to Our Lady day and night: they would approach one by one and two by two just to touch her feet; they would prostrate or kneel for hours; they would hold the crown aloft above her head for minutes before gently lowering it onto her head. They would outright vocally give prayers of thanks for the comfort Our Lady gave to them.
"To them faith was a physical as well as a spiritual expression."
