The Melanesian Institute: A product of interfaith cooperation, founded by missionaries in 1968 to serve Papua New Guinea.
The Melanesian Institute: A product of interfaith cooperation, founded by missionaries in 1968 to serve Papua New Guinea.
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1967: The idea for a missionary resource center in Papua New Guinea is born among SVD missionaries.
1968: With support from other missionary groups (Marists, MSCs) and ACRS, the center becomes a reality.
1969: The first director, Fr. Hermann Janssen MSC, is appointed.
1970: The venture becomes an official part of the Roman Catholic Church in PNG. The Melanesian Institute (MI) moves from Rabaul to Goroka.
1973: The MI becomes an ecumenical institute, reflecting the spirit of Vatican Council II. Current church members now include Roman Catholic, Anglican, United Church, and Lutheran.
History
History
The idea to establish a ‘resource center’ for missionaries in Papua New Guinea originated among the SVD missionaries (Societas Verbi Divini/Divine Word Missionaries) in 1967. With the cooperation of the Marists (Missionary of Mary) and the MSCs (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart), and the Association of Clerical Religious Superiors (ACRS) as a legal sponsor, it became a reality in July 1968. The first full-time director, Fr. Hermann Janssen MSC, was officially installed in April 1969. In 1970, the Melanesian Institute (MI) became an official venture of the Roman Catholic Church in PNG, and land for the Institute was officially offered by the then Bishop of Goroka, John Cohill SVD, thus moving the MI from its original founding site near Rabaul to its current Campus in Goroka. In 1973, in line with the spirit of the Vatican Council II, the MI gradually evolved into an ecumenical Institute. The current church members of the Institute are Roman Catholic, Anglican, United Church and Lutheran.
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