By Fr Albert Lenon sdb

Vunabosco, Kokopo, PNG, 22 June 2020 -- DB Technical Secondary School, Kokopo celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Pioneering Salesians who arrived in Araimiri, Gulf province last June 05, 2020.

The Missionary group in the school, headed by Fr. Rector – Fr. Möise Paluku, together with all its members, gathered the school body in the gym. The celebration started with the hymn – Galilee Song: “So I leave my boats behind, leaving them on a familiar ground” reminding us how our pioneering Salesians – Fr. Valeriano Barbero sdb, Fr. Rolando Fernandez, sdb and Bro. Joseph Kramar, sdb left the Philippine Salesian Province to sail to the seacoast of Papua New Guinea.

To bring back sweet and fresh memories of that early expedition in Araimiri, one student read the historical diary written by Fr. Valeriano himself when they first arrived on June 14, 1980. Listening to the chronicles with matching old photos brought great flash back – the situation, the malaria, the mission place, the struggles and difficulties on how the pioneering salesians started to work in the Lord’s vineyard. Everything is God’s grace and love.

Together with the 40th year, the school also celebrated in a simple and meaningful way the 30th year of DB Kokopo. Slides and pictures showed how DB Rabaul also started in 1990. Thanks also to our early salesians for starting our school.

As part of the celebration, the school also awarded winners of the drawing contest of MHC last May 25. We congratulate our artists for their love and devotion to our Blessed Lady. To conclude the celebration, Fr. Rector thanked the early Salesians but he also acknowledged the support of our Lay Mission Partners who have journeyed with the salesians in the past 30 years in DB Kokopo. We are truly grateful to the following teachers for being part of the Salesian Family in Kokopo – Ms. Roselyn Taluesina (12 yrs), Mr. Richard Buanga (current Principal and 16 yrs), Mr. Edmund Sagapuna (17 yrs), Ms. Anabelle Ortega (24 yrs) and her husband Mr. Renato Ortega (25 yrs) – all enthusiastically and joyfully serving our school.

The celebration concluded with the closing remarks of our first lay mission partner, principal Mr. Richard Buanga, who was also a graduate of DB Kokopo.

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