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Meet the priest who serves the most rural parts of Papua New Guinea

Papua_New_Guinea_Courtesy_of_Fr_Christian_Sieland_CNA

In the deep Melanesian jungles, a native Papua New Guinea Catholic priest walks miles through the deep thick forests. He scales the country’s steep mountainous terrain to reach his remote flock and serve in the poorest parishes every weekend.

“These people live in a difficult and rugged terrain. God has put them there. It is their home. All the material used to build their church was carried by their grandfathers on their shoulders. They are proud to have the presence of the Church in their area,” said Fr. Christian Sieland of the Kundiawa Diocese of Papua New Guinea.

“Many have only a few pieces of clothes or just enough money to get through the week. They may be poor, but they acknowledge all the blessings God has given them,” Fr. Sieland told CNA.

“They don’t starve because God has given them a fertile soil where almost everything can be grown. They don’t thirst because God has given them clean and fresh mountain streams nearby to fetch water from.”

The priest had high praise for the hospitality of these Catholics.

“When I as their parish priest go into their homes for a visit or even stay overnight with them, they give me the biggest plate full of food, they let me sleep in their best beds under mosquito nets. The care and respect given to a priest in those remote areas sometimes really touches me and makes me at times even feel embarrassed,” he said.

Read more at CatholicNewsAgency.com…

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