I Wait For The Lord,My Soul Waits For Him:

And In His Word is My Hope.

A resource book of the Martyrs of Papua New Guinea and Melanesia

Written by Margaret Bride

Martyrs Book 3

INDEX

Port Moresby– Henry Matthews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3– Leslie Gariardi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Northern Province– May Hayman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7– Mavis Parkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8– Henry Holland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9– Lucien Tapiedi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11– Lilla Lashmar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12– Margery Brenchley . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13– John Duffill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14– Vivien Redlich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

New Britain– Bernard Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17– John Barge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Seed of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The Story of the Melanesian Brothers 2003 . . . . . 21

Ideas for Children’s Ministry on Martyr’s Day . . . 24

Questions and Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Martyrs Day Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27– A Liturgy for Martyrs Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Henry MatthewsHenry Matthews had been Rector of Port Moresbysince 1927. When the administration called forvolunteers from the civilian population to jointhe army to defend New Guinea in 1941–2,he volunteered and became a Garrison Chaplain.However he was over 65 and deemed too old forthe Army. In August he was forced to retire, a statewhich was to formally occur on 8th August 1942.The military administration wanted him to acceptsafe conduct back to Australia but he refused,preferring to continue to minister to the peoplewhom he had served for the last fifteen years.

As Rector of Port Moresby he spent much of histime travelling up and down the coast, performingbaptisms and marriages and caring for his flock.1

In August 1942 he was a widower and hisdaughters had settled in Australia but his sonAdrian, a medical officer, had accompanied thefirst boatload of mixed race evacuees to Daru andHenry offered to accompany the second boat.

The Mumuru was attacked by a Japanese aircraftand repeatedly strafed until it sank. Some survivorstried to keep afloat but they were also shotuntil in the end only one survivor escaped. The

remainder, including Henry Matthews and LeslieGariardi, were either shot or drowned.

Leslie GariardiLeslie was a young teacher-evangelist who hadrecently completed his studies at St Aiden’sTraining College at Dogura. He was born inBoianai. In 1942 he was posted to Port Moresbyas an assistant to Henry Matthews, whom hevolunteered to accompany on the boat trip to Daruin early August 1942.

He died from bullet wounds or was drowned whenthe Mumuru, was attacked on August 7thsomewhere beyond Yule Island.

Port MoresbyDesignated places in PNG where the Martyrswere assigned

From February 1942 there were frequent night and day air raids on Port Moresby. By August3rd the Japanese had advanced along the Kokoda Trail over the Owen Stanley Rangestoward Port Moresby and had captured the village of Kokoda. All Australian civilians in thetown were being evacuated back to Australia and it was decided that civilians of mixedrace would be evacuated to islands in the Gulf, near Daru.

Both Henry Matthews and Leslie Gariardi offered to accompany these civilians on their tripto Daru on the boat Mumuru, intending to remain there in order to minister to them.

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1969. Page 632 Harvard: Tomkins, Dorothea & Hughes, Brian, 1969, The Road from Gona, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, p63.

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After the attempt capture Port Moresby by seawas thwarted by the battle of the Coral Sea inMay 1942, the Japanese began work on aninvasion via the northern beaches and the KokodaTrail. It was the implementation of this secondplan which led to the deaths of the martyrs MayHayman and Mavis Parkinson of the Gona Missionand Lucien Tapiedi, Margery Benchley, VivianRedlich, Lilla Lashman, John Duffill and HenryHolland of Isivita and Sangara.

The Attack on GonaBetween January and June refugees and service-men who had been shot down made a thin butconstant stream of arrivals at the Mission stationson the north coast. No one living there could beunaware of the imminent arrival of the Japaneseland forces and the consequences for any Europeanswho remained when they did arrive. On the 10thMarch, Bishop Strong’s boat, the Maclaren King,was attacked by bombs and gunfire off the Bunashore. The crew, Bishop Strong and John Duffillwere lucky to escape with their lives.

Late in the afternoon of Tuesday, 21st July,the Gona mission staff witnessed the arrivalof the first Japanese forces that were toengage with Australians, Americans andPapuans in the historic campaign of theKokoda Trail.1

The staff at Gona, Isivita, Mamba and Sangarahad already made the decision to remain withtheir people. It was only when the Japaneselanded in numbers at Gona on 21st July 1942 thatthe staff at Gona accepted that their presencewas in fact a danger to the very people they werethere to serve in God’s name. It was then that theydecided to set up as refugees in the bush. AsJames Benson himself described it: So we cometo the days of the deluge; to the landing of theJapanese at Gona – the first landing of enemytroops on Australian Territory.2

James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkinsonexperienced great difficulty in penetrating theswamps behind the Gona station. They wereunable to use established tracks because therewere already heavy Japanese patrols reconnoitringtheir route for the invasion of Port Moresby via theKokoda Trail. Eventually, with the help of a numberof local people, they established themselves in ahide-out near the village of Siai where they hidfor several weeks. It was from here that MavisParkinson wrote her amazing account of that time.3

In Prisoner Base and Home Again James Bensonalso gives an account of this period in addition totelling the story of his long imprisonment by theJapanese. The two woman were killed at Jegarata,near present day Popondetta, in late August.

Northern Province 1942

1 The Road from Gona, Tomkins & Hughes, Sydney, 1969. Page 382 Prisoner’s Base and Home Again, James Benson, Robert Hale Limited, London, 1957. Page 193 Australian National War Memorial: www.awm.gov.au: NT0002FIA

Rabaul was successfully invaded by the Japanese in late January 1942. Manus Island wasunder their control and repeated raids were made at various points along the north coastas well as on Port Moresby. By 8th March, Lae and Salamaua were occupied. The Japanesestrategy was to invade and conquer Port Moresby. It was generally believed that this wasa stepping stone to an invasion of Australia.

The advance was very rapid and the whole areawas quickly occupied. On July 22nd Henry Hollandat Isivita prepared a bush shelter for his staff andalso for John Duffill, Lilla Lashmar and MargeryBenchley who left Sangara for Isivita. VivianRedlich stayed hiding in the bush near Sangarafor a time. Once they were in the hide-out LucianTapiedi and Andrew Aware made daily trips to thestation where Henry Holland remained for a timeuntil he also joined them in order to prevent hispresence further endangering others. They wereprobably joined by Vivian Redlich, and all of themthen departed from Isivita.4

Lucian Tapiedi was killed on the first day of thejourney. The others were captured and beheadedon Buna Beach.

There are some grounds for controversy in anyaccount of the events of this period but thevariations in detail should in no way reduce theimpact of the witness of these Christians. RomneyGill, the priest in charge of the Anglican Mission atMamba, was by this time also in hiding in the bushnot too far away. He and James Benson wrote toeach other during this time. Later Romney wassmuggled away and reached Port Moresby.

4 This account follows that given by Hughes and Tomkins The Road From Gona pages 60-62. Not all sources are agreed about just what happenedbetween July and September.

The altar erected in 1968 on the spot near Popondetta where two Australian missionaries, MayHayman and Mavis Parkinson, were put to death by Japanese soldiers in August 1942.

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In a letter to Bishop Strong written soonafterwards, Romney said that most of the people,apart from those under direct mission influence,saw the war only as a terrific fight betweenforeigners on their land and were quite preparedto accept whichever side came out on top. Heallowed that many must be faithful in their hearts,but thought that the dominant thought was self-preservation, which had led some to apostacy.By using the religious word apostacy rather thanthe secular treachery, Romney showed he wasconcerned about loyalty to the Church rather thanto the Allied cause and so felt that its witness tobe of value whatever the outcome of the war.5

When the Japanese were finally driven out andAustralian forces returned to again take charge ofthe Northern Province, an investigation was heldinto the role of the local people in the deaths ofthe eight mission staff. One PNG man, Embargi,was identified by them as the leader of those whowere involved in some way in the deaths. He andat least thirty-four Papua New Guineans wereexecuted. Ten of the Papuans were hanged fortreason. The charge assumed that they had aloyalty to a government and a nation. At the timethey probably had neither, and in practical termsthe Japanese were their rulers.6

Whether we agree with these views, there canbe no question of the cost of this invasion tothe Japanese, the Australians and to the peopleof PNG.

The war in Papua New Guinea was fought atappalling cost. About 150,000 Japanese died.On the mainland alone, from Milne Bay to Aitope,lay the remains of 100,000 men of Adachi’s 18thArmy. Nearly 12,000 allied soldiers were killed.How many Papua New Guineans died is uncertain,but in areas of intense fighting the populationdropped by a quarter. Papua New Guineans wouldnever understand why foreigners had fought a waracross their homeland.7

5 Romney Gill: Missionary, Genius and Craftsman Christopher Garland, Christians Aware, London, 2000. Page 3166 Taim Bilong Masta: the Australian Involvement with Papua New Guinea Hank Nelson, Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1982. Page 1997 ibid page 200

While they were in hiding near Siai it becameincreasingly apparent that they were not safe,particularly when a local sorcerer said he wouldkill all the Europeans because their presence wasa threat to the villagers. Father Benson decidedthat they should move towards the Managales.Two Australian soldiers heard of their presenceand came to ask if they would like to join a groupof soldiers who were going to attempt to reachPort Moresby via Oro Bay. Reluctantly, JamesBenson agreed for them to do so. Four days laterthey reached the Japanese lines near Popondettabut they were not safe and were captured nearby.May was executed: Sister Hayman moaned andlifted a towel or cloth to her face, and her escortplunged his bayonet into her throat.2

After the withdrawal of the Japanese, her bodywas reburied at Sangara in February 1943.

May Hayman

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, Angus and Robertson Sydney 1969. Page 342 ibid page 45

May Hayman was also known as Merry, a very apt name for such a small, sprite-like personwith pretty hair and very bright eyes.1 May came from Adelaide but had worked as a nursein hospitals in Adelaide, Melbourne, Dubbo and Canberra. She was immensely happy in herwork and in her life at Gona. Shortly before the Japanese invasion she and Vivian Redlichannounced their engagement.

Northern Province 1942 (cont)

He joined the mission in 1910 and first workedwith Copeland King at Ambasi. His work inbuilding ‘roads’, bridges and mission houses, adispensary and a school was very highly regarded.The practical skills he had learned on sheep farmsin New South Wales stood him in good stead asa missionary in PNG.

Once Sangara was firmly established, he movedfurther on in 1928 to establish a new station atIsivita. This was a two hour walk from Sangaraalong a track that twisted its way through denserainforest on the lower slopes of MountLamington. The walker had to cross many deepgullies – down one side, through the water at thebottom, and then up the steep bank.

Henry Holland

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, Angus and Robertson, Sydney 1969

Henry Holland began the mission work in the Sangara district as a layman in 1922. His ableassistant was Andrew Aware, a Papuan teacher, a life long friend and colleague of HenryHolland. It was the first attempt by the Anglican mission to build a head station anydistance from the coast. Henry Holland was a quiet, slow-spoken man, quite unimpressive tomeet, but a giant in his capacity for work and for thoroughness in everything he undertook.1

Isivita Mission House after the Japanese invasion. Scattered on the floor are Henry Holland’sBinandere manuscripts and mission station records, which had taken 20 years to assemble.

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While she was a student at the Australian Boardof Mission training school they were given only aday’s notice of an exam. Mavis and a friend wentto the city and ate chocolates busily in the hopeof being too bilious to face the examination. It didnot work!

Mavis Parkinson was a very able teacher and incharge of the school at Gona. Father Benson hadgreat admiration for Mavis Parkinson as a teacher,saying that the examination results of the yearlyinspection by the Queensland District Schoolsinspector were never higher than when she taughtat Gona.1

In her letter written while she was in hiding afterJuly 21st, she wrote of the last night they spent atthe mission station: both sister and I had on ourpretty long dresses; dinner was a gay meal andour lovely polished table with its pretty mats andbeautiful flowers did not fail to call forth theusual compliments.2

Like May Hayman she was captured when theywere travelling with a small group of Alliedsoldiers who were trying to make their way backto Port Moresby. She too was executed near thepresent day Popondetta in August 1942.

Mavis Parkinson

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, Angus and Robertson Sydney 1969. Page 322 Australian War Memorial website: reference “May Hayman”

Mavis was born in Ipswich, Queensland and attended St Paul’s parish church. One of theclergy there said of her I believe she had a vision which gave her inspiration; there wasa power in her life. She worked in an office, but when she felt called to mission service,she retrained as a teacher.

Northern Province 1942 (cont)

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Henry Holland was ordained a priest in 1938.After he moved to Isivita he continued to providesupport and ministry to the Sangara staff until1941 when Vivian Redlich was appointed priest-in-charge at Sangara. About the same time JohnDuffill joined him to assist in the building andconstruction work.

When Henry Holland heard of the sudden Japaneselanding at Gona, he had no hesitation in decidingto remain at his post, refusing offers to join aparty travelling overland to Port Moresby.

It was he who arranged the shelter in the bushand brought the two women from Sangara to itssafety. He accepted responsibility for the partywhich assembled. During the next week a badlywounded American airman was brought to Isivita.There was nothing that could be done for him andHenry watched over him all night until he died.About the same time two Australian airmen alsocame to the station, each staying only a short timebefore heading off toward Port Moresby on foot.

After a week he recognised that they were at toogreat a risk if they remained in the bush hide-out,and that they were also a danger to the localpeople. His plan was to travel into the Managalasarea and cross the Owen Stanley Ranges fromthere to Port Moresby on a route it was thoughtwould be easier for the women in the party. Theyset off to do this but on the way they met up withCaptain Austen and his party. Austen persuadeda reluctant Holland to join them in travelling toOro Bay and escape from there to Tufi or anothersafe place. It was this plan that led a few dayslater to their capture by the Japanese and to theirexecution at Buna Beach.

Lucian Tapiedi is honoured at WestministerAbbey where his statue is one of ten 20thCentury Martyrs.

Tapiedi was born in 1921 or 1922, in the village ofTaupota, on the north coast of Papua. His fatherwas a sorcerer who died when his sons were quiteyoung. He was taught at mission schools and then,in 1939, he entered St Aiden’s teacher trainingcollege. Here Tapiedi became known as a diligentand cheerful presence, fond of physical recreationbut also a musician. In 1941 he became part of thestaff at Sangara as a teacher and evangelist.1

Lucian was one of the two Papuans who cared forthe small group hiding in the bush near Isivita fromJuly 22nd, making daily trips from the village withfood. When it was decided to abandon the hide-outand make for the coast, he made the decision totravel with them as guide. He was determined notto abandon the missionaries with whom he worked.

They had only travelled a short distance whenit was found that the carriers had left a packagebehind, some think on purpose. Lucian offeredto return for it and was never seen again by therest of the party. It is possible that this was theintention, to separate him from them, in orderto kill him.

One of the Orokaiva, a man named Hivijapa, killedTapiedi near a stream by Kurumbo village. …Hiskiller later converted to Christianity. He took thename Hivijapa Lucian and built a church dedicatedto the memory of his victim at Embi.

There is at least one other church dedicated to hismemory: St Lucian’s in the settlement of Six-Milenear the Port Moresby airport.

Lucian TapiediIn July 1998 ten statues of martyrs of the twentieth century were placed in the nichesabove the west door of Westminster Abbey in London. Each one was an individual, butalso a representative of all those who had died in similar circumstances of oppressionand persecution. The martyrs of the Pacific region are represented by a statue of LucianTapiedi. The subtitle of the entry about Lucian is “In an age of aggression.”

1 Christian Martyr’s of the Twentieth Century, Andrew Chandler, Dean and Chapter of Westminster, 1998, page 7. All the other quotations in this arealso from this source.

Graves of Mavis Parkinson, May Hayman and Lucian Tapiedi at Sangara Mission Station, 1950(photo by courtesy of Miss Nancy White).

Northern Province 1942 (cont)

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Sangara was in the centre of a coffee and rubbergrowing area and was the first mission stationbuilt at any distance from the coast. It was anisolated place for the two women, who communi-cated with their colleagues on the coast mainly byletter. If either of them wished to make a personaltrip they had to walk 27 miles through gullies andstreams, perhaps getting a lift near the end of thejourney from the lorry-driver who was the onlyperson who lived at the coffee collection depotat the present day Popondetta.

The school was not large enough for the numberof pupils and there were not enough teachers tocover all the classes. One of her teachers wasLucian Tapiedi. Materials for the school anddispensary had to be carried as back-born loadsfrom the coast at either Gona or Sanananda.

After the Japanese landing, and as they advancedrapidly inland, Lilla was one of the group led byHenry Holland and assisted by Lucien Tapiediand Andrew Aware, who left their hide-out inthe bush to walk to the coast. They were finallycaught, taken by the Japanese in a truck to Buna,and executed there together with Captain Austen,Tony Gors, his wife and small son.

Lilla LashmarLilla Lashmar was a teacher who had offered for missionary service when she was aparishioner at St Cuthbert’s in Prospect, South Australia. She commenced teacher trainingat St Cuthbert’s College while she earned enough money, making and selling baskets.She arrived in Papua in December 1920, working first at Gona, then in Dogura and finallybegan working at Sangara with the nurse, Margery Brenchley.

Those who knew her as a mission nursedescribed her as slightly built, usually dressed inbrown, with dark hair and eyes, totally devotedto the care of the native people.1 When HenryHolland moved to the new station of Isivita, sheshared the responsibility of running the Sangarastation with Lilla Lashmar. From this lonely spotshe sometimes travelled to Gona alone with asick patient.

The mission house and all its furniture was mademostly from local bush materials but they alsoused the packing boxes in which equipment wascarried up from the coast. Their isolation wasslightly mitigated by the presence, at a shortdistance, of the manager of the rubber plantationLouis Austen and his wife.

In July 1942 both Lilla Lashmar and MargeryBrenchley declined an offer from Australianservicemen to travel to Port Moresby with them,but as their post lay in the direct line of theadvancing Japanese, they moved to Isivita,accompanied by Lucian Tapiedi. Early on 22nd Julythe mission staff began to build a secret camp inthe bush for the Europeans.

Margery Brenchley

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1969. Page 48

Margery was born in England but migrated to Australia with her brother when she wasa teenager. Recognising that nursing was her vocation, she entered Brisbane Hospitalfor training. While in training she attended the parish of Holy Trinity, Fortitude Valley.They supported her as their missionary from the time she went to New Guinea in 1927until her death.

After a week Henry Holland consulted AndrewAware and it was agreed that they were not safein their hide-out, with patrols passing so close allthe time and Lucian and Andrew making dailyvisits. It was then that the decision to travel tothe coast was made. A decision which led to theircapture and death on Buna beach.

Northern Province 1942 (cont)

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He was responsible for the building of the Sefoamission house and then Bishop Strong gave himthe responsibility for the mission boat, theMaclaren King, which made six-weekly trips alongthe coast bringing mail, carrying copra, stores andpassengers. He was responsible for loading andunloading and caring for the passengers but notfor the management of the boat, which wasunder the able command of Edward Guise. It wasbecause he had this responsibility that he was onthe Maclaren King when it was attacked at Gonaearly in 1942.

When the invasion was imminent in June 1942he was due for home leave, but he declined totake it saying he wanted to stay to support theother members of the mission team and BishopStrong. Like the other members of the Isivita andSangara group, he was captured soon after theyleft Isivita and executed on the beach at Buna.

John DuffillJohn Duffill was born in Queensland, one of six children whose mother died when he wasonly seven years old. As a member of the parish of Wooloongabba in South Brisbane hewas a member of the choir and eventually head server. He also became a scoutmaster.Both he and one of his sisters wanted to become missionaries but their father had recentlydied and they did not want to leave their stepmother alone. After discussing the mattertogether the two young people decided that it would be better for John to go.1 He arrivedin Papua in 1938 as a lay missionary.

After five years in Queensland he offered to servein Papua New Guinea. In August 1941 he wasappointed priest-in-charge of the Sangara district.

Vivian Redlich was a very thin man, not verystrong, and inclined to discipline himself intodoing things that seemed to be beyond hisstrength. His eyesight was weak and he worevery thick glasses.2 It was this physical weaknessand tendency to work too hard which led BishopStong to insist that he have a short break inDogura in early 1942. On the way he called atGona where he and May Hayman becameengaged. Her acceptance filled him with a desireto tell the whole world of his amazing good for-tune. At Wanigela he came along the beach witheyes shining and face beaming, almost shoutingthe good news, ‘May and I are engaged’. 3

On the return trip he arrived at Buna and saw theJapanese ships. He could have returned to thesafety of Dogura at that point, but instead hechose to go ashore and slip through the Japaneselines to Sangara.4 He established himself in abush hide-out and from here wrote a letter to hisfather which is now in St Paul’s Cathedral inLondon. I’m trying to stick whatever happens.If I don’t come out of it just rest content that I’vetried to do my job faithfully. On the Sunday

morning, as he was preparing for the Eucharist,one of his people told him that a villager had goneto report him to the Japanese but he calmlyreplied that it was the Lord’s day and he wouldcelebrate Mass for the people as planned.5

After this he apparently joined the othermissionaries from Sangara and Isivta. It is notclear whether he did so and met his death onBuna beach with them, as is most commonlyreported, or whether he was killed separately asa result of the information given to the Japaneseabout his presence in Sangara. Exactly how hemet his death is not clear, but that he died as adirect result of his faithfulness to his calling toserve God and His church is quite clear.

Vivien Redlich

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, Angus Robertson, Sydney, 1969. Page 512 ibid page 513 ibid page 52.4 The Seed of the Church, Errol Hodge, Australain Board of Missions, Sydney 1992. Page 175 ditto

Vivien Redlich was born in England and ordained there. He came to Australia and served inthe Bush Brotherhood for five years. He was remembered by them as a lively young man:the brotherhood were sometimes glad of the quiet which followed his hilarious end-of-month stays at the brotherhood house.1

Northern Province 1942 (cont)

The legacy of the Martyrs and many othermissionaries down through the years isshown in the faithfulness of the people today,especially through scripture and prayer.

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1 The Road from Gona, Hughes and Tomkins, page 53

Rabaul was captured late in 1941 and theJapanese soon occupied all the New Britaincoastline, including Gasmata. They set up a basethere and visited Kandrian, very near John Barge’sstation, where they asked the natives if therewere any Europeans near by, but the natives didnot betray the missionaries.

Because they were hidden from observation bythe Japanese, John Barge continued his workfor almost two years after the initial occupation.It was not until the later half of 1943, when theAllies were putting pressure on the Japanese,that their patrols became more intense along thesouthern coast.

New Britain

In October 1941, as the Japanese advanced toward New Britain, the governmentadministration advised all non-natives to take whatever means available and toevacuate to a position of safety.

Bernard Moore and John Barge became greatfriends: the short intervals of companionship theyshared together helped greatly in giving themconfidence and courage to face their lonely livesand to make the decision to remain at their postswhen a clear and honourable way to safety wasavailable.1 It is not known exactly what happenedto Bernard although it is known that he continuedto use the boat to ferry supplies. It is assumedfrom what could be learned after the war that hedied of an illness, possibly severe malaria.

The Melanesian church included him in the list ofmartyrs very early on but it was not until a meetingof PNG bishops in 1992 that his name was listedwith the other PNG martyrs. There can be nodoubt that his decision to remain at his missionand with his people after the Japanese occupationled to his death.

Bernard Moore shared with John Barge the work on the southern side of New Britainin the Melanesian Mission districts of Urin and Ilak, with its headquarters at Iumielo.He had initially come to work as a layman in teacher training but had then been ordained.In addition to other functions in New Britain he managed the small boat, the Mary Stafford,and carried the supplies and mail from Rabaul to the south coast district.

Bernard Moore

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brian Hughes, Angus Robertson, Sydney, 1969. Page 65

Bernard Moore.Photo: PNG Church Partnership (UK).Used with permission.

The PNG church today is a vibrant mix of people using their cultural background to share theChristian journey with others.

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Later he studied the treatment of tropical diseasesat Malaita in the Solomons. He returned to NewBritain in 1939, to the Apugi Mission Station towork with two households of Melanesian Brothersand with Henry Moore. His conviction was that thework of healing should go hand in hand with thepreaching of the Gospel 1. He had a very wellequipped dispensary.

The local people were anxious for his safety,particularly Peter, a staunch Christian, teacher andthe lulai of his village. At one stage they took himto a small cave which had an entrance so lowthat it could only be entered on hands and knees.At their offer he retorted ‘that he would die on hisfeet if it came to that, but he would not be caughtlike a rat in a hole.’

Although he was well aware of the danger inwhich he stood, he continued his healing andpastoral ministry for more than a year after theJapanese occupation of New Britain. In October1943 one of the increasingly vigilant Japanesepatrols sighted the mission house at Pomete.A landing force found John Barge going about hisdaily work quite openly. The Japanese, whoseemed friendly, took him aboard the destroyer,telling the local people they would help him getmedical supplies and bring him back. But after theship had rounded the next point, he was takenashore. Two local people hiding in the bush sawhim executed with shot and sword. The localpeople buried him on the spot, marking his gravewith a border of coral 2.

John BargeJohn Barge was an Englishman who had fought in the First World War then migrated toQueensland in 1926 where he was an orchadist in the Stanhope area. He studied theologyat St Francis College in Brisbane, served in two Toowoomba parishes, then offered himselffor mission work. Initially, in 1935, he was appointed to Rabaul.

1 The Road from Gona, Dorothea Tomkins and Brain Hughes, Angus and Robertson Sydney, 1969. Page 662 The Seed of the Church, Errol Hodge, Australian Board of Missions, Sydney, 1992. Page 24

Our Common Humanity and the Debt we Owe

In September 1946 James Benson wrote:

Particularly enheartening is the changedattitude towards Christian Missions here inAustralia. No longer is there so great a needfor an apologetic. Men who have had to dowith the Papuans, on the Kokoda Trail and inthe battles of the beaches, no longer ask sillyquestions about the cultural possibilities ofprimitive races. There is a growing sense ofthe oneness of the human family.

Two soldiers at Lae were telling me of theway the Papuans worked carrying stores andammunition up to our front lines, and bringingthe wounded back gentle as my mother.One of them said, “You don’t think of yourselfas a superior bloke in those circumstances.”These boys telling such stories are the bestmissionary deputations.1

That generation of soldiers is fast dying out andit is up to us to heed their message and toremember the huge debt we owe to the people

The Seed of the Church

In 1992 Errol Hodge chose this title for the ABM publication on the martyr’s of PNG. Here arethree examples of the many ways by which these words have been demonstrated as true.

1 “A Message from James Benson” in New Guinea Mission: Occasional Paper No. 122, September 1946. PNG Church Partnership London

Fr John Matang from the New Guinea Islandsat prayer – as determined to share the goodnews today as John Barge was in 1943.

New Britain (cont)

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of PNG today for their devoted service to us in ourtime of need in 1942-1944. We also need to heedthe message of our oneness with them then andnow as members of the human race and childrenof the same heavenly Father.

Forgiveness and ReconciliationNo single group of words can convey the senseof openness to the Japanese who were hiscaptors which James Benson conveys throughouthis book. He recounts the stories of the good andthe cruel men who dealt with him during hiscaptivity. He suffered the loss of friends andcolleagues as well as the privations of being aprisoner of war, yet his attitude remained that ofChristian compassion and forgiveness.

The Anglican Church in Japan has made itscontribution to the commemoration of the martyrs.Firstly in 1950 the Primate of Japan gave severalbamboo crosses as an act of contrition and thesewere erected in the parish churches of each ofthe martyrs. In 1980 at the annual meeting of thebishops of the Anglican church of Japan, theyasked to hear the story of the martyrs, howeverhard that would be for them. As a result theircongregations the following year gave a substantialdonation toward the chapel at Newton TheologicalCollege near Popondetta.

The post-war director of ABM, Frank Coldrake,gave us a wonderful example by living outforgiveness and reconciliation between Australiaand Japan.

Inspiration to pursue our owncalling from GodThis is one of the most important reasons why weneed to hear the stories of those faithful peoplewho have gone before us. One person who heardthe story and responded is himself an inspirationto the Anglican Church in PNG and to us. BishopDavid Hand, in his book Modawa, explains that hehad intended to work as a missionary in Africa butwhen he read this story of the martyrs of PapuaNew Guinea in 1946 he heard God calling him togo there, in a sense, as a replacement for FatherRedlich. No doubt about that being a majormustard seed planting!

A major development in the Anglican Church ofPNG, inspired by the death of these women andmen is the foundation of the Martyr’s MemorialSchool. At the meeting of white mission staff inJuly 1947 it was proposed that a secondary schoolin the Northern Province would be a suitablememorial. The lay leaders of the church inSangara offered a block of land for the schoolwhich was dedicated there in February 1948.The first head teacher was Margaret de Bibra,a remarkable woman who set the pattern ofexcellence for which the school has been so wellknown, and who was killed only four years laterduring the eruption of Mount Lamington. Afterthat the school was re-established on its presentsite.2

2 Where the Good Boys Come From, B.W.Roberts, Martyr’s School PNG, 1986 Photo of Robin Lindsay taken Norwich Cathedral 1996, taken by Chris Luxton, PNG Church Partnership (UK). Used with permission.

Yesterday our worst fears were confirmed. TheMelanesian Brotherhood was officially told by thePolice Commissioner William Morrell that they hadbeen informed by Keke that all six were dead. It is hardfor such news to sink in. These were six younginnocent Brothers who went out in faith and in love insearch of their Brother. It seems too much to bear thatthey should have been murdered in cold blood. I wouldlike to tell you a little about each one of them for eachone will be so missed:

Brother Robin Lindsay is ourAssistant Head Brother and has beenin the community for many years.He was four years Assistant HeadBrother in Solomon Islands and fouryears Head Brother in PNG. I call him

‘the encourager’, because he has time for everyone andhelps build on their strengths. He is known and popularwherever he goes in PNG and Solomon Islands andeven Norfolk in the UK. With his strong handshake andabsolute dedication to his work the community feels insafe and caring hands whenever he is around. He is sogreatly loved; how much he will be missed. My lastmemory of him is on Maundy Thursday when togetherwe washed the feet of the Novices in the community,he washing and I drying.

Brother Francis Tofi from the time he was a Novicewas so bright and attentive in all his studies. Whenyou met him you knew straight away that here issomeone with a deep spiritual life and gentle wisdom.He asked constant questions and understood intuitively

what it meant to be a Brother. First inMalaita and then on the WeatherCoast of Guadal-canal at the time oftension and its aftermath he showedincredible courage. Here was aBrother who was prepared to speak

out, to condemn violence and the use of weapons andprotect the lives of others even at great personaldanger. It was Brother Francis who had organised forthe Police Commissioner and a few of the Brothers togo out by canoe and dispose of all the many highpowered weapons, explosives and ammunition theBrothers had collected and sink them in the deep seaso they could never be used again. There are stories ofhow he was able to resolve conflicts and rescue thosewho were being beaten or in danger from the rebels.Early this year the World Council of Churches offeredhim a place at the Bossey Institute in Geneva to studyand contribute to a course on conflict resolution. I wasaware of the possible danger he was in working fordisarmament and particularly because he had not beenafraid to speak out against Keke. But his courage wasvery great. He told me he was not frightened of dyingin God's service and in his work for peace. I remindedhim that God wants LIVING sacrifices and he had hiswhole life ahead of him. We laughed, for death neverreally seems a possibility in one so brave and full oflife. I told him I wanted to visit him in Geneva. Todaywe packed his only possessions in a small grubby blackrucksack. A few shirts, a couple of pairs of shorts, hisuniform and some books to return to his family. Icannot believe he is dead.

The Melanesian Brothers – the story of theseven Brothers murdered in the Solomon IslandsThe Reverend Richard Carter – One time Chaplain to the Brothers. Day of Commemoration 24 April

It was on or around St. George’s Day 2003 that six Brothers were killed on the Weather Coast ofGuadalcanal by the rebel leader, Harold Keke. They had gone in search of their BrotherNathaniel, who had already been killed and similarly tortured.

On August 9th 2003, Richard Carter wrote the following moving account of the seven Brothers.This article is used with kind permission of the author.

The Seed of the Church (cont)

Brother Alfred Hilly. He is a youngand humble Brother, for two years hehas been looking after Chester Rest-house in Honiara. Sometimes theguests find him a bit quiet and vaguebut he has great kindness: always

giving up his bed and mattress to provide extra roomfor guests. He takes particular care of the kids wholove coming to the house. He makes sure they get fedat lunch time and has been helping young Selwyn,whose parents have deserted him, learn to read. Thisyear he trained in Malaria research and qualified toread blood slides at the local clinic. This has been sohelpful to all the religious communities who bring theirblood slides to him for the fast diagnosis of malaria.And now dead. How can I write in the past tenseabout one so young?

Brother Ini Partabatu, free spiritedand outspoken, brave and full ofenergy. He is a brilliant actor andbecame a key member of my dramasand joined me on the Brothers'mission and tour to New Zealand in

2000. Before joining the community he was a memberof a drama group from the Weather Coast, performingdramas about development and health issues. We goton well for he knew I recognised his potential and thefire within him. Ini as a Brother has been brave tospeak out against all injustice. He even confronted theSI Police Force when he believed their methods wereunjust, brutal or failing to respect the rights of thepeople.

Brother Patteson Gatu. He is fullof joy and so motivated as a newBrother. He was only admitted lastOctober and always smiles from earto ear whenever you meet him. Thelast time I saw him just before Easter

he was telling me about when he was fired at whiletrying to land on the beach as well as enthusing abouta sermon I had just preached. I was never quite surewhether he was not teasing! He had such youth andwarmth and confidence of faith. Not some narrowreligiosity but natural and real and strong. Indeed hemade Christ's beatitude a reality: ‘Happy are thepeacemakers, for they shall be called the children ofGod (Mat.5.9)

And Brother Tony Sirihi, who losthis father when he was young, andfound in the Brotherhood a real familyand home. He developed from a shy,thin and humble Novice into a stockyand bold Brother. But he never lost his

simplicity. So many memories. I remember so clearlythe night before he was admitted as a Brother how weclimbed 'Pentecost Mountain' together and celebratedthe Eucharist on top with all those about to make theirvows. All night Tony had been lighting fires to keep uswarm. I remember taking a retreat with him on adesert island in Lord Howe in which we fended offclouds of mosquitoes all night. He was easy companyand a natural and unassuming friend to many of theBrothers who loved having him around. He showed hiscourage throughout the tension and continued to helpthe disarmament process.

And Brother Nathaniel Sado, thelost Brother, for whom they had gonein search. As a Novice he was incharge of the piggery and cared forthose pigs as if they were membersof his own family! He made a sweet

potato garden for them and cooked for them. Theyoften seemed better fed than the rest of the Novices.The dogs followed him round too and he was one ofthe few Novices who got on well with our donkey. Heloved to welcome guests to the community and madefriends with many of the expatriates arranging trips forthem to his home volcanic island of Savo where hetook them up the mountain to see the hot springs andsulphur smoke and to dig for megapode eggs in thewarm sand. He delighted in these expeditions. He hadlittle formal education and had a some-what childlikenature always on the move and as a Brother a bit hardto pin down. During the tension and the disarmamenthe had made friends with the militant group and wasrather proud of the fact that he new Harold Keke andbelieved Keke to be his friend. The trust wasmisplaced and he was the first Brother to die. Storiessay that he was beaten to death after being accusedby Keke of being a spy for the government. They sayhe sang hymns as he died. There was no darkness inthis young man: not wise perhaps, proud of his statusas a Brother and the kudos of mixing with the militantsbut entirely well meaning even if naïve in his trust andinnocent as a child is innocent when caught up inevents out of his depth.

Of one thing I am certain: these seven men will liveon in the hearts and minds of our community. Theirsacrifice seems too great and hard to believe. Thecommunity sat up telling the stories of these Brothersthrough the night and trying to come to terms with theenormity of their loss. And yet beneath the traumathere is a peace too. The knowledge that each ofthese young men believed in peace and in goodness.They knew that there was a better way. They wereprepared to oppose violence and to risk much. At theend of the day they stand against all acts of brutalitywhich are at present disfiguring our world and bravely,boldly, and with love, lived what most of us proclaimonly from the safety of a Church. Oh how much theworldwide Anglican Church at the moment could learnfrom their witness. And when such real life issues areso much at stake in our world is not this what theGospel should be?

Richard Carter9 August 2003

Martyrs Book 23

The Melanesian Brothers – the story of the sevenBrothers murdered on the Solomon Islands(cont)

Palm Tree of PrayerSuitable for a lesson either at the steps of thesanctuary as a children’s talk or during the servicewhen children are withdrawn for a time and thenreturn to the main congregation.

AimTo give some information about the lives ofchildren in PNG today and to involve the childrenin praying for the people of PNG today

Preparation1. Green cardboard, either cut out in advance in

the shape and size of children’s hands

OR

pencils, scissors and cardboard to cut them out aspart of the activity

2. Large coloured picture of children in PNG takenfrom Anglican Board of Mission websitehttp://www.abmission.org

3. Felt pens – one for each child at least

4. Broomstick covered with a layer of browncrepe paper to make a palm tree trunk. (Underthe paper covering there would need to be alayer of something to make it easy to stick inthe pins unless the wood is very soft.)

5. Drawing pins to attach the palms to the trunk.

StoryUse the picture to draw out from the childrensomething about the lives of village children inPNG contributing information you have gleanedfrom Partners and the ABM web-site.

Palm trees are grown extensively in PNG: coconutpalms for food, copra and building material; andspecial palms for the production of oil.

ActivityIf the children are old enough, and if time permitsthey can each write a prayer on one of the palms.

If time is short and/or the children are too young,then distribute the prepared palms with prayersalready written on them.

The children pin the prayers on the trunk of thePalm Tree.

ConclusionThe prayers become the basis of the intercessionswhen that stage of the Eucharist is reached

OR

They can be used at once spoken by one of thechildren.

Martyrs Book 25

Who were the Martyrs of Papua New Guineawho are commemorated on September 2ndThe Anglican Church in Australia has set this dayaside to remember the twelve Anglicans who diedin Papua New Guinea in 1942-3, during theJapanese invasion and occupation of the countrywe now know as Papua New Guinea.

They were:

John Barge, priest

Margery Brenchley, nurse

John Duffill, builder

Leslie Gariardi, evangelist and teacher

May Hayman, nurse

Henry Holland, priest

Lilla Lashmar, teacher

Henry Matthews, priest

Bernard Moore, priest

Mavis Parkinson, teacher

Vivian Redlich, priest

Lucian Tapiedi, evangelist and teacher

Were any of these people PNG Nationals?Yes, both Lucien Tapiedi and Leslie Gariardi.

What did they have in common?Each of them died because, as an individual, theychose to continue to serve the people entrusted tothem by God rather than travel to safety whenthey had the opportunity. It is this act of personalself-denial in the face of imminent personaldanger to their life that led inevitable to the deathof each of them.

Why is it observed on September 2nd?This has been chosen as one day to commemorate12 people who died on various dates in 1942 and1943. In a number of cases the actual dates oftheir deaths are unclear.

The first synod of the Diocese of New Guinea afterthe war ended requested that such a date be setaside. At first they suggested September 1st sinceby that day in 1942 it was believed that all themartyrs from the Northern Province and PortMoresby were already dead. This was lateramended to September 2nd and has beenobserved since 19471. In 1996 the date wasagreed to be used as a commemorative date for all333 Christian martyrs of the PNG in World War II. 2

Are these the only Christian Martyrs ofPNG in 1940s?Far from it. Members of all the major churcheswere killed in the hostilities. It is difficult to knowexact numbers. At different times the lists havevaried but Theo Aerts3 in 1994 gives the followingnumbers:

Anglicans 12

Roman Catholic 197

Evangelical Church of Manus 5

Lutheran 16

United Church 77

Salvation Army 22

Seventh Day Adventists 4

A total of 333

Questions and Answers

1 The Good Shepherd: Bishop Strong and the New Guinea Martyrs, Bishop Phillip Strong, Melbourne, St Peter’s Bookroom, 19832 “The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea” Paul Richardson, Magazine insert in Church Scene, Vol 5 No39, August 9th 19963 Aerts, Theo, The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, University of Papua New Guinea Press, 1994. Pages 36-7

Ideas for Children’s Ministryon Martyr’s Day

Martyrs Book 27

Does the Anglican Church of Papua NewGuinea Observe this day?Yes, indeed. It is one of the big days of celebrationin many parishes. There is traditional dancing inthe Eucharist and the kundu drums are played.

At the Martyr’s Memorial School it is always avery important occasion.

Why does the Australian Church keep thisday?Three good reasons:

1. Papua New Guinea is Australia’s nearestneighbour, closer than New Zealand orIndonesia.

2. From 1896 to 1973 the Territory of Papua wasan Australian dependant territory. From 1919to 1973 the Protectorate of New Guinea wasan Australian responsibility first under theCharter of the League of Nations and thenunder the United Nations. Today Australiangovernments always recognise that there isa special responsibility that we have for thenation of Papua New Guinea. This governmentresponsibility is mirrored in the responsibilitythat the Anglican Church of Australia has forthe Anglican Church of PNG which is taken upby the Anglican Board of Mission – Australia.

3. Many of the martyrs were missionaries of theAnglican Church in Australia on behalf of ourChurch.

What can we learn today from the lives anddeaths of these people in 1942 and 1943?One answer to this is that they were ordinaryChristian people, doing the tasks they believedGod had called them to do. It is easy for us to findamong them some particular person with whomwe can identify and see that we are never too old,too young, too ordinary, too unskilled, to perform apart in the mission of God to bring his love andjustice to this broken world.

A Prayer for the Martyrs from PNG

Let Us PrayFather, we thank you for your martyrs of PapuaNew Guinea; they obeyed the call of your SonJesus Christ to take up the cross and follow him,and so they glorified you by their deaths. Maytheir witness and their prayers make strong yourChurch in this land: and may we, your servantstoday, follow their example of faithfulness andcourage, work for your kingdom, and be joinedwith them forever: through the same Jesus ChristOur Lord who lives and rules with you in the unityof the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Amen.1

Collects:All powerful and everliving God,Turn our weakness into strength:As you gave the martyrs of Papua New Guineathe courage to suffer death for Christ,give us the courage to live in faithful witness to you.We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OR

Living God,You made your Church to growThrough the zeal, courage and unflinching witnessOf your servants martyred in New Guinea:Give to us and all your peopleSuch steadfast faith in your good purposesThat we may serve you faithfullyWherever you have stationed us:Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen.2

A Prayer for us and our Brothers and Sistersin PNGAlmighty God, there is no greater love than to giveour lives for your friends. Grant us and the peopleof Papua New Guinea the courage to make ourown sacrifice. And may we, in the company ofyour Martyrs, gaze with joy upon the face ofChrist. Amen

Martyr’s Day PrayersQuestions and Answers (cont)

1 Prayers for Martyrs – Diocese of Papua New Guinea Prayer Book 1975.2 Collects from A Prayer Book For Australia 1995 63 1ff. Copyright The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation.

Martyrs Book 29

1. Miss Mavis ParkinsonLord Jesus Christ, we see in your servant,Mavis Parkinson, the loving concern for thechildren’s education; help us in our time to givequality loving care to our children and all otherstudents under our care, so that they maygrow in wisdom and truth.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

2. Sister May HaymanGod of love and faithfulness, bless us all withyour wisdom, as we remember your servant,May Hayman today, that we may, like her,think, care and serve a little more for othersand a little less for ourselves.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

3. Reverend Henry HollandHeavenly Father, we thank you for yourservant, Henry Holland, who saw in AndrewUware the qualities that were necessary forthe mission of the gospel and so shared thetask. Mercifully pour upon us your insight thatwe may discern yours gifts in others, and valuethem, work together for your glory and theextension of your Kingdom.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

4. Sister Margery BrenchleyGod of hope and love, your servant MargeryBrenchley gave loving hope of healing andhealth to the sick. Bless the doctors and nursesin their work; guide and strengthen us to beyour instruments of hope to the hopeless, thehelpless, the suffering and the poor.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

5. Miss Lilla LashmarGod, our Father, rekindle and deepen our lovefor you so that we may with our whole beingwant to be a good soldier for Jesus Christ, asdid your servant Lilla Lashmar.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

6. Reverend Vivian RedlichHeavenly Father, we thank you for the life ofVivian Redlich, who in obedience to your call,left the comforts and security of his homelandand with others ministered your word andsacraments. Stir up the hearts of all ordainedministers to serve you well in allcircumstances to hold high your light of truthand love.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

7. John DuffillGod, our Father, you call people in differentministries to build your Church. We thank youfor your servant, John Duffill, whose keendesire to help you well as a carpenter, carryinghis share of the cross and laying down his lifewith others, is an example for us.

Lord, guide and strengthen us in all that youcall us to do – to be faithful and devoted toyou and to each other.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

8. Lucian TapiediLord God Almighty, we thank you for yourservant, Lucian Tapiedi, who volunteered to goback and collect items left behind – a decisionin the face of danger. Pour upon your Churchsuch bravery, that we too may be ready tostand up and defend the rights of the helplessamong us.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

9. Reverend Henry MathewsGod, our Father, Creator and Preserver of all,we thank you for your servant Henry Mathewswhom you called as priest to minister to yourWord and sacraments in Port Moresby. Blessthe work of clergy in the urban centres thatthey may be faithful in their calling.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

10. Leslie GariadiLord God, we thank you for Leslie Gariadi,for example of faithfulness, support andcompanionship to his priest, together in lifeand together in death. Holy and gracious God,help us to be true to each other and to you infaith and love.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

11. Reverend John BargeWe thank you, Lord Almighty, for your servantJohn Barge who met you on a track near avillage garden “with a shot and a sword” atMoewe Kandrian.

Clothe us with your peace and enrich us withyour grace, that we, like John Barge, may facechallenges and dangers with courage and love.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

12.Reverend Bernard MooreLord, God of all creations, we thank you foryour servant Bernard Moore, priest, teacher,sailor, supplier and transporter of goods andservices to the outlying islands on the SouthWest coast of New Britain.

Mercifully give us grace to be the means topresent your peace and love to those you havecalled us to care for and those we meet eachday.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

Continued over

A Liturgy for the MartyrsLiturgy written by Bishop Denys Ririka, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Aipo Rongo PNG.

The following Liturgwy of Prayers were written by Bishop Denys Ririka and have beengenerously given to ABM for the use of the Australian Church. It is taken from a serviceheld for Martyr’s Day at All Soul’s Lae in 2004. It has been translated into English andalso includes a prayer for the Melanesian Brothers murdered in the Solomon Islands.

Martyr’s Day Prayers (cont)

PRIESTSGod, Creator and Preserver of all, we thank you foryour servants, Henry Holland, Henry Mathews,John Barge, Bernard Moore, Vivian Redlich whomyou called to serve as Priests and to minister yourword and sacrament among your people in PNG.Stir up the hearts of all ordained ministers toserve you well in all circumstances. To hold highyour light of truth and love.

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

BROTHERHOODWe also remember with thanksgiving, the life andwitness of the late Melanesian Brothers who gavetheir lives in your service on the beaches of theSolomon Islands: ROBIN LINDSAY, ALFRED HILLY,TONY SHRIHI, PATERSON GATU, FRANCIS TOFI,NATHANIEL SADO and INI PARATABATU.

O Lord, you equipped these men with differentgifts and talents to serve you with courage andconviction. We pray that your Holy Spirit mayenable us each day to know the truth fromfalsehood and like them, stand firm to proclaimwhat is right.

Where there is hatred let us show love

Where there is injustice, forgiveness

Where there is division, unity

Where there is sorrow, hope

Where there is darkness, light

Where there is sadness, joy

Where there is fear, courage

V. Lord in your mercy.R. Hear our prayer.

Martyr’s Day Prayers (cont)

This booklet was complied and written by Margaret Bride who lives in Port Melbourne and isan active member of the parish of St Martin’s Hawksburn. Between 1997 and 2000 she andher husband, Graham, were ABM missionaries in PNG. Since then she has been on the ABMMelbourne Diocesan Committee, much of that time as Secretary. Her interest in the historyof PNG was heightened by her association with Bishop David Hand, when she assisted him toprepare his book Modawa for publication. Recently she has returned to her original interest inresearching and writing history and has published two local history studies. ABM is very gratefulto Margaret for all her research and work on the history of the martyrs.

This booklet remains the property of ABM. It may be reproduced in its entirety for use inparishes, schools and/or worship services. For any other purpose please contact ABM,Locked Bag Q4005, Queen Victoria Building, NSW 1230. Phone (02) 9264 1021. info@abm.asn.au

Pictured on back:The memorial window to the founder ofthe Melanesian Brothers – Ini Kopuria – inthe Brothers Chapel at Tabalia SolomonIslands.

Pictured on front:The magnificent stained-glass window in thenorth transept of St Peter’s Anglican ChurchEastern Hill, Melbourne – a windowcommemorating the New Guinea Mission andthe martyrs of 1942.