Bereina (Fides Service) - The Catholic mission and mission school at Mainohana, in Bereina diocese, Papua New Guinea, has been completely gutted by an accidental fire. To the dismay of the missionary personnel and the school children the flames destroyed the entire mission structure, school building, furniture and material
The missione school is the only middle-school in the whole of the Bereina diocese and it has more than 600 pupils aged 9 to 12. The school was opened by the De La Salle Brothers in 1946 and taken over by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1980.
The disaster means the children will be unable to finish the school year. Mainohana is a poor area and there are few opportunities for work. The local Church’s service of education is widely appreciated also by the government.
In an appeal for funds to help to rebuild the mission and school the diocese says that even a small offering from Christians all over the world, would be of enormous help to boys and girls in this part of the Pacific where the young local Church is growing slowly but surely.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/4/2004 lines 23 words 223)