PORT MORESBY, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - Located in Australian New Guinea (Papua). On July 19, 1844 the apostolic vicariate of Western Oceania was divided into the two vicariates of Melanesia and Micronesia; in practice, however, the apostolic vicariate of Micronesia was always governed by the apostolic vicariate of Melanesia, entrusted to the missionaries of the Society of Mary.

On Sept. 15, 1847 they set foot on the island of Woodlark; the Fathers nearly all died of fever and in 1852 they ceded it to the missionaries of the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Milan, who abandoned it in 1855, after the death of Fr. Mazzucconi. In 1884 the mission was entrusted to the Fathers of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who settled on Thursday Island. The following year Fr. Henry Verjus entered Papua. On May 10, 1889 the apostolic vicariate of Melanesia was divided into the two vicariates of New Britain (v. RABAUL) and New Guinea. The latter comprised English New Guinea or Papua and German New Guinea, which on Dec. 4, 1890 was annexed to the apostolic vicariate of New Britain. On Nov. 14, 1922 the apostolic vicariate of New Guinea was named after Papua. On June 13, 1946 the eastern zone was detached from it to form the apostolic prefecture of Samarai, and the apostolic vicariate took the name of P. M. The last world war struck the mission hard; it has an area of about 184,000 sq. km. The climate is tropical and unhealthy, especially on the plains.

PORT MORESBY, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of - Celebration of Holy Mass at the airfield, in the mission of Masulu in Papua. Note the rustic altar adorned by the natives.(phot. Fides)

The territory is governed by Australia. The inhabitants number about 220,000, of whom about 5,000 are Europeans, 2,000 Eurasians and the rest natives. Catholics number 24,595. The Protestants belong to various denominations.

The missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus number 47, aided by 1 from the diocesan clergy, 29 brothers of whom 13 are natives, 103 sisters of whom 14 are natives, 378 catechists. Districts 11, quasi-parishes 4, primary stations 13, secondary stations 116, churches 13, chapels 106; hospitals 2, dispensaries 16, orphanages 14. Elementary schools 62, secondary 31, vocational 7, normal 1. A printing press prints two periodicals in 250 copies.

Bibliography5 works

BIBL.: AAS, 14 (1922), pp. 646-47; 39 (1947), pp. 82-83; A. Duperrat, Papouasie, Histoire de la Mission, Paris 1935; MC, 1950, pp. 472-73; Arch. of Prop. Fide, Relaz. quinquennale, Pos. prot. nn. 622/51, 168/51.

Saverio Paventi

@incollection{ec9_port_moresby_vicariato_apostol, author = {Paventi, Saverio}, title = {Port Moresby, vicariato apostolico di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {1785--1786}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/port-moresby-vicariato-apostolico-di} }

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Port Moresby, Apostolic Vicariate of

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