Brian Cahill MSC at Tapini.
With now Archbishop Rochus Tatamai, in Bereina days
From the MSC magazine, Be on Earth the Heart of God.
Still at Tapini after 25 years having arrived there in 1997, wondering when and how it’s all going to end.
My main achievement has been the secondary school -Sacred Heart- and the extraordinary development that has taken place there over the years to bring it into being what it is today. A school of excellence providing quality secondary education to the children of Tapini and Goilala. It is a co-educational boarder/day school, catering for 400 students. Since 2018 the school has been undergoing an extensive programme of project work to cater for the inclusion of Grades 11 and 12 (previously students completed their Grade 10 and went elsewhere for Grades 11 and 12). Our first Grade 12 graduated in 2019, and scored a result in the Grade 12 National Exams that rated the school in performance amongst the top 15 secondary schools in PNG. Since then the school has been rated every year as the top performing secondary school of the 9 secondary schools in Central Province.
At the moment Sacred Heart has an application before the Incentive Fund (Australia Aid) to fund the final stage of this recent development that commenced in 2018 for the topping up of the school with Grades 11 and 12. The IF Team visited Tapini just recently and were impressed with what they saw. Hopefully this submission for K4.5M of funding will be successful. If so I am anticipating it to be approved by the end of the year, with work commencing next year and the target for completion by the end of 2023. At which time, like the good painter it might be time to put down my brush!
Over the years I am grateful for the support received from various donor agencies and benefactors. In particular I would like to mention in this report Monivae College for its ongoing support since 2003, with student exchange and Mission Experience as well as in other ways. It has been a fruitful relationship between the two schools.
Aside from the Sacred Heart Secondary School my other work in Tapini as PP includes oversight for the operation of the Health Centre, 7 primary schools (6 of which are in outstations) administering sacraments, and visiting outstations where possible.
The MSC Community at Tapini has myself as parish priest, Fr Robert Timi msc newly appointed as assistant priest in the parish and chaplain to the secondary school, Br Michael Pendekos msc as Principal of Sacred Heart, Br Fidelis Pikul msc as teacher at Sacred Heart and person in charge of maintenance. As well there are two Goilala msc and ‘old boys’ of Sacred Heart, Br Vince Malova msc who has completed his formation and awaiting his ordination as deacon, and Br Leo Fasi msc who is having time out from formation. Both of these are assisting in the secondary school with teaching and admin assistant work. I have been blessed with a good level of support from the local PNG MSC Province with personnel, my hope being that the local province will continue on at Tapini when I am gone. These days my time is split between being at Tapini and in Port Moresby.
In Port Moresby I take care of the Australian MSC residence at Gordon. These days it doesn’t have as many MSC passing through as it used to, however it provides somewhere to stay and a base of operation for myself, as well as a place to stay in POM for the few remaining Australian MSC. In particular for Paul Guy who is stationed at Bereina. During 2020-21, thanks to funding received from the MSC Mission Office and Provincial Admin, extensive renovation works were done on the house to bring it up from the state of dilapidation it had fallen into.
Paul and I are the last remaining Australian MSC working in the Diocese of Bereina. The diocese has seen a shift since Bsp Rochus Tatamai msc moved on to Kavieng in 2018 and then Rabaul as Archbishop. Bsp Otto Separy (a Sepik and diocesan) was moved from Aitape after being ten years there, to Bereina to fill the vacancy in 2019.
I am very conscious of the fact that there are only five of us (Australian MSC) left in PNG now. Paul and I in Bereina, and Tony Young, Russ Andersen and Joe Ensing in Milne Bay.
Given our ages and the general situation of things in PNG I have a gnawing sense that collectively our time is fast drawing to a close. Individually I am left wondering for myself when it is time to pull stumps and head home to Australia. Otherwise I am fit and well, and happy with what I am able to do at the moment to finish up on things needing to be done at Tapini before I exit.
Fr Brian Cahill msc
Tapini, PNG
15/05/22
