Bishop Schormoch

Silver Jubilee of Bishop Schormoch

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, July 29.

THERE was a week of festivities at the Vonapope Mission, and surrounding New Britain districts, at the end of July when the Right Rev. Leo Scharmach, Vicar Apostolgic of Rabaul, celebrated his Silver Jubilee.

Four other Roman Catholic Bishops visited Vonapope for the occasion—Bishop T Wade, of the Northern Solomons; Bishop A. Sorin, Yule Island, Papua; Bishop L. Arkfeld, Eastern New Guinea; and Bishop Stephen A. Appelhans, Cen tral New Guinea.

On July 24, Bishop Scharmach blessed the Catholic Church in Rabaul which was recently completed. The Catholic com munity in Rabaul attended in full force

—Europeans, Chinese, Malays, Euro nesians and natives. Bishop Wade de livered the sermon.

After mass a reception was held. Re freshments prepared by the young women of the parish, under the guidance of Rabaul’s popular parish priest, Father T.

Ormonde, were served to the visiting clergy and over one hundred Rabaul parishioners.

Congratulations were showered upon Bishop Scharmach in many speeches.

That evening, in the grounds of the Vonapope Mission, 100 Europeans were invited to a concert given by Euronesian and native pupils from the mission schools. Huge crowds of natives also attended.

The now locally-famous Kinigunan Boys’ School Band played several num bers to the usual appreciative audience; girls from the Girls’ School sang two items; but, perhaps, the highlight of the evening was the “Jubilee Festival in Fairyland,” in which tiny-tots dramatised our own nursery-rhymes—“Little Jack Horner,” “Three Blind Mice,” etc. The amazing feature of the whole concert was that it was all given in English.

High Mass at Vunapope Cathedral was held on July 26, followed by a banquet for visiting Bishops, priests and brothers.

In the afternoon there was a sing-sing for native villages for 30 miles around and in the evening Kinigunan School pupils staged a play in Pidgin which was a huge success. Called “Kussi,” this de picted the difficulties experienced by

young men who return to village life with a new education that the old men do not possess.

A colourful display by pupils of all Catholic schools in the Rabaul area was witnessed by the visiting Bishops and guests on July 26, and the week of festi vities closed with a conference of all the visiting hierarchy and priests.

Well-known BSI residents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Judd, added a third son to their family recently and on July 9, the new arrival was christened David Frederic Colin. The Judd family live, as in pre-war days, in Tulagi (now practi cally deserted) and came over to Honiara for the christening. The ceremony was conducted at St. Marys Chapel, Tanagai, near Honiara, by Bishop Aubin. Mrs. V.

J. Shearwin was godmother and Mr.

Peter Flynn godfather. The baby’s two brothers —Arthur, who is having a year’s holiday from his Sydney school, and Ricky—were among the many people pre sent. After the ceremony, Mr. and Mrs.

Judd gave a late-afternoon party for about 40 guests at the Woodford Hotel, Honiara.

The Rt. Rev. L. Scharmach.