In the mist-covered mountains of Papua New Guinea’s southern highlands, birdsong and rushing creeks form part of the daily soundtrack. For one week, another sound joined them as Gregorian chant echoed through the Diocese of Mendi.
Seven Australian musicians and composers travelled to the remote diocese to share the church’s ancient musical tradition with priests, seminarians and lay faithful. The Diocese of Mendi serves about 90,000 Catholics across 31 parishes and more than 300 outstations scattered throughout the Southern Highlands and Hela Province.
Bishop Donald Francis Lippert OFM Cap invited the Sydney-based group in the hope of strengthening sacred music in the diocese and preparing a delegation for the International Eucharistic Congress, Eucharist28, to be held in Sydney in 2028. Although the team spent a week in Papua New Guinea, the mountainous terrain meant they had just three days in Mendi to conduct five workshops.
The sessions covered the chants of the Mass, the priest’s sung responses and Benediction hymns using the newly compiled Let’s Sing to Jesus resource from the Jubilate Deo Programme. Each day concluded with sung Vespers in the Cathedral of Mary Mother of the Divine Shepherd, culminating in solemn Benediction.
Jubilate Deo founder Ronan Reilly first met Bishop Lippert in 2017 after sharing stories of earlier chant mission trips to Wewak. The pair remained in contact before arranging the Mendi visit to coincide with the diocese’s annual priests’ retreat.
“This trip has been a long time in the making,” Reilly said.
“Bishop Donald is a wonderful man with a great love for bringing the beauty of our faith to his flock.
“These workshops in the music of the church helped deepen the experience and participation of the priests and faithful of the diocese.
“We have drawn great inspiration in this work, especially from the story of Paula, the wife of Blessed Peter To Rot, who dreamt of her husband after his martyrdom wearing clean white robes and singing with a group of beautiful children.
“We hope to continue that catechetical work of Blessed Peter To Rot and help many more people join in the hymn of the angels in heaven: ‘Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus …’”
Sydney composer Nathan Culshaw said he was deeply moved by the enthusiasm and musical ability of those who attended.
“I wish all choirs were that enthusiastic,” said Culshaw, a former student of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
“Because they are such musical people, they were able to harmonise over ancient chants like the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei without any prompting.
“Even when we went for dinner, we could hear them continuing to practise in the church hall.
“Hearing the congregation sing the ancient chants so confidently was a real joy. It was an honour to teach them the song of the church, and I truly received more than I gave.”
For many participants, the workshops became far more than a music lesson. Seminarian Taitus had not intended to attend. Busy with other duties, he happened to walk past the hall where the workshops were being held and was drawn inside by the sound of the singing.
“They are so beautiful,” he said.
“I never thought our people could sing like that. I never imagined that I could even sing like that.”
Cathedral chorist Cathy Mawoi said the workshops were too short, while Sr Francisca FSM said she had never heard music like it before and felt as though her soul was singing. The impact continued well after the Australian visitors had returned home.
About a week after the workshops, Bishop Lippert was walking back to his house after several days without electricity when he heard “a pure young voice, out of the darkness, beautifully chanting the Kyrie from Orbis Factor.”
For Culshaw, that moment summed up the lasting fruit of the mission.
“We are hopeful that, with ongoing support, sacred music will take root in the beautiful mountains of the Diocese of Mendi,” he said.
“We hope it will help the next generation enter more deeply into the prayer of the church and that one day they will come to Australia for Eucharist28 and sing the Benediction chants with us.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source catholicweekly.com.au ’
