Bishops Of Four
pp. 59-60 · Read in the full issue
Nations
At Farewell Function in Rabaul
From Our Own Correspondent
Rabaul, Oct. 6.
THE universality of the Roman Catholic Church was emphasised yesterday at a farewell function, given by the mem bers of the Church in Rabaul to Bishop Vesters, 0.8. E., who, owing to ill-health, is retiring from .the work in N. Guinea.
In responding to the toast of his health Bishop Vesters drew attention to the fact that on Tuesday last, during the consecration ceremony of his successor, Bishop Scharmach, there had been four Bishops present, each one from a differ ent country. Bishop Scharmach was a Pole: Bishop Wade, of Bougainville, was an American; Bishop Lorks, from Aitape, was a German: and he. himself was a Hollander.
During the Vunapope Mission’s activi
ties in New Guinea, in the past fifty seven years, there had been two conse crations; that of Bishop Vesters in 1923, and of Bishop Scharmach on Tuesday last, when Bishop Vesters acted as Consecrating-bishop. Bishop Coupee had founded the mission in 1882.
Bishop Vesters, who is 63 years of age, has been in indifferent health for some years now, and—as he said in his reply —was making way for a younger and stronger man to carry on the work. He leaves for Australia this week. Bishop Vesters was decorated with the Order of the British Empire for the splendid work he performed during the volcanic erup tion in 1937.
Dr. Raymond Firth who, for a time, was Professor of Anthropology at the University of Sydney (and later has been a lecturer at the University of London) is now engaged in field research in Ma laya. Dr. Firth is well-known for his book on Tikopia (8.5.1.). Mrs. Firth ac companied him to Singapore.
J. R. Clay and Co.. Ltd., has sold por tion of its leasehold property at Samarai, Papua, to Burns. Philp and Co.. Ltd. The former hotel building and store premises on the corner of the main street, opposite the Cosmopolitan Hotel, have been dis posed of. but Clay’s will still retain its property on the sea side of the main street, as well as its present store and office premises.