World-Famous Singers

Give Year To N. Guinea Missions

MEMBERS of the world-famous Trapp family, from Vermont, US, are at present in New Guinea gaining experience in mission work preparatory to returning home to start an association of Roman Catholic lay workers for the Pacific area.

Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp and the family chaplain, Monsignor Franz Wasner, who were in Aus tralia for the consecration of Bishop Fox, in Melbourne, left on January 21 to join the Baroness’s two daughters and one son who are at present on a mission at Ferguson Island, in the Milne Bay district of Papua.

The daughters, Maria and Rose maria, and the son, Johannes, have been in New Guinea since November.

They came out to Australia about a year ago to join the Tivoli circuit, and played in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Maria and Rosemaria are helping in the school, and Johannes is assist ing Father Atchison with builidng work. They plan to spend about a year in various missions before re turning to America.

Since they arrived in New Guinea they have started a natives’ choir, and have started teaching music to arouse the natives’ interest in the church.

Baroness Von Trapp said that she conceived the idea for the New Guinea trip while on a tour of Howaii, in 1955. There she met the Apostolic Delegate to Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Archbishop Car boni, who told her of the great need for music in the church’s missions in the South Pacific.

The family will also visit New Zealand, Samoa, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti before returning to the United States. t A National Geographic Magazine photographer, Mr. Luis Marsden, was on Pitcairn for about a month taking pictures, including under -

water movies. The resultant publicity is expected to boost Pit cairn.