Sunday 3rd of September
©Bishop Rob Nolan
Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains just a single grain; but if it dies it bears much fruit.”
During the years 1942-43 a total of 327 missionaries were martyred in Papua New Guinea. They were missionaries from the following Christian denominations:- 197 Roman Catholics, 77 United Church members, 22 Salvation Army personal, 16 Lutherans, 12 Anglicans and 4 Seventh Day Adventists.
The Anglicans who were martyred consisted of 4 priests: Fr. John Barge (S. James’, Toowoomba), Fr. Henry Holland (NSW), Fr. Henry Mathews (Port Morsby), Fr. Bernard Moore, and Fr. Vivian Redlich (England/Australia), 2 nurses: Margery Brenchley (Holy Trinity The Valley, Brisbane), May Hayman (Adelaide/Canberra), 2 teachers: Lilla Lashmar (Adelaide) , Mavis Parkinson (S Paul’s Ipswich), 1 carpenter: John Duffill (Holy Trinity Woolloongabba) and 2 Papuan evangelists: Lucian Tapiedi (Statue – 2nd from right over west door of Westminster Abby. Lucian stands beside another eleven statues of 20th century martyrs), and Leslie Gariardi.
In 1942 Bishop Phillip Strong, who later became the Archbishop of Brisbane, wrote to all Anglican mission staff in PNG encouraging them to stay firm in their posts. This is what he wrote,
“One thing only can I guarantee is that if we do not forsake Christ here in Papua, in His body the Church, He will not forsake us. He will uphold us. He will strengthen us and He will guide us through the days that lie ahead. If we all left, it would take years for the Church to recover from our betrayal of our trust. If we remain – and if the worst comes to the worst and we all perish in remaining – the Church would not perish, for there would be no breach of trust in its walls, but its foundations and structures would have received added strength for the future building by our faithfulness unto death.”
What can we learn today from the lives and deaths of these twelve people? One answer is this they were ordinary Christian people, doing the tasks they believed God had called them to do. All twelve martyrs were totally human, inspired by God to go, preach, teach and live as disciples of Christ. They were not perfect, just as not one of us here in Saint Andrew’s today is perfect.
Their gift or talent came out of a deep devotion for and love of God. They were in Papua New Guinea because they loved God’s people and used their talents to make a difference to a population of Indigenous people entering into a completely new way of living in the 20th Century. They utilised their talents to make a difference through education, medicine and other useful practices. The Anglican Martyrs and all the other New Guinea Martyrs were not perfect. What we hold in common with them is the fact we are here today because we believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we are all God’s children called through our Baptism to live a life of service for others and commitment to God. Each and every person has some special attribute or skill that they can use to further the work of God’s plan.
Fr Vivian Redlich stands out, in my mind, as an example of a normal well balanced human being. Vivian was born in South Africa, and, early in life, moved with his family to England. Having completed his theological training, Vivian was ordained a priest in Wakefield Cathedral 1932, aged 26. He served as a curate in England for a couple of years. Then feeling the call to minister in Queensland he set sail for Rockhampton to serve as a Bush Brother at Winton in Western Queensland. The day after arriving from England be boarded a train to Longreach, and then completed his journey to Winton where he ministered in that vast district for the next five years. On completion of his five year contract, Vivian left Winton, intending to return to England. However, by the time his train reached Rockhampton, Vivian, on the spur of the moment, decided to go to Papua instead. The year was 1940. He set sail for Port Morsby, and then by the Anglican Mission boat landing just south of Popondetta, a small town settled by Europeans working mostly in government services. There Vivian was met by the local Anglican mission staff living there. After a rest for couple of days, Vivian hitched a ride on the tray of military truck which was on its way to the native village of Sangara about 20 kilometres north of the Proponent. There Vivian was welcomed by the two school teachers, Lilla Lashmar and Mavis Parkinson and the two nursing sisters, Margery Brenchley and May Hayman. (Vivian’s proposal of marriage was readily accepted by May.)
As the resident priest Vivian celebrated the Holy Communion as the starting point for each day. All was going well until the Japanese army landed on the Gona beach and advanced towards Kokoda and beyond. They each realised the danger that lay ahead. The missionaries gathered together the little they could carry and hid themselves in the jungle. Vivian took his travelling home communion box and each day this small group would celebrate the Eucharist. On a number of occasions the Japanese soldiers could be clearly heard nearby. But Vivian would continue with the communion service seemingly unaware of the nearby danger.
During the days ahead the ten missionaries living in the district were captured. Some of them were handed over to the Japanese soldiers by the local people. Each of them was killed, some by the Japanese soldiers: others by local Papua New Guineans.
Today we have the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of the New Guinea Martyrs. How can we imagine the depth of commitment these twelve ordinary people displayed in the face of certain death. Ten of them went to Papua New Guinea as missionaries, to live a life dedicated and committed to serving God and the Papuan and New Guinea men, women and children. The two Papuan martyrs also sacrificed their lives trusting in God. Little did each of the twelve know that they would be martyred. But they were. And more than that, they were truly faithful to the end.
After the War, many people wished to honour the Anglican Martyrs of PNG by putting a memorial in place to act as an enduring reminder of the twelve faithful Anglicans martyrs.
In July 1947, during an Anglican Church conference in Papua New Guinea, an English woman, Emily Clarke, a teacher, urged for the establishment of a secondary school for boys. By 1948 The Martyrs Memorial School was established. The school consisted of a staff room, two classrooms, a storeroom, office, library, dormitory, staff quarters and a kitchen. All buildings were made entirely of bush materials. On 12th January 1951 Mt Lamington erupted and set a plume of ash up to 50,000 feet, killing up to 3,000 people. Amongst the dead were the two teachers and three local boys.
There is a happy ending to all this. The Martyrs’ Memorial School was rebuilt, a safe distance from Mt Lamington. Today the mountain is still smoking merrily along.
The 2nd of September was selected to commemorate the twelve Anglican Martyrs.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.
May we who are gathered in this congregation die daily to self and live to work and worship to the glory of our wonderful God.
Amen.
(In January 1966 I arrived at the School as a teacher for two years, prior to entering Saint Francis’ College.)
Martyrs’ Day sermon
Sunday 3rd of September
©Bishop Rob Nolan
Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains just a single grain; but if it dies it bears much fruit.”
During the years 1942-43 a total of 327 missionaries were martyred in Papua New Guinea. They were missionaries from the following Christian denominations:- 197 Roman Catholics, 77 United Church members, 22 Salvation Army personal, 16 Lutherans, 12 Anglicans and 4 Seventh Day Adventists.
The Anglicans who were martyred consisted of 4 priests: Fr. John Barge (S. James’, Toowoomba), Fr. Henry Holland (NSW), Fr. Henry Mathews (Port Morsby), Fr. Bernard Moore, and Fr. Vivian Redlich (England/Australia), 2 nurses: Margery Brenchley (Holy Trinity The Valley, Brisbane), May Hayman (Adelaide/Canberra), 2 teachers: Lilla Lashmar (Adelaide) , Mavis Parkinson (S Paul’s Ipswich), 1 carpenter: John Duffill (Holy Trinity Woolloongabba) and 2 Papuan evangelists: Lucian Tapiedi (Statue – 2nd from right over west door of Westminster Abby. Lucian stands beside another eleven statues of 20th century martyrs), and Leslie Gariardi.
In 1942 Bishop Phillip Strong, who later became the Archbishop of Brisbane, wrote to all Anglican mission staff in PNG encouraging them to stay firm in their posts. This is what he wrote,
“One thing only can I guarantee is that if we do not forsake Christ here in Papua, in His body the Church, He will not forsake us. He will uphold us. He will strengthen us and He will guide us through the days that lie ahead. If we all left, it would take years for the Church to recover from our betrayal of our trust. If we remain – and if the worst comes to the worst and we all perish in remaining – the Church would not perish, for there would be no breach of trust in its walls, but its foundations and structures would have received added strength for the future building by our faithfulness unto death.”
What can we learn today from the lives and deaths of these twelve people? One answer is this they were ordinary Christian people, doing the tasks they believed God had called them to do. All twelve martyrs were totally human, inspired by God to go, preach, teach and live as disciples of Christ. They were not perfect, just as not one of us here in Saint Andrew’s today is perfect.
Their gift or talent came out of a deep devotion for and love of God. They were in Papua New Guinea because they loved God’s people and used their talents to make a difference to a population of Indigenous people entering into a completely new way of living in the 20th Century. They utilised their talents to make a difference through education, medicine and other useful practices. The Anglican Martyrs and all the other New Guinea Martyrs were not perfect. What we hold in common with them is the fact we are here today because we believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we are all God’s children called through our Baptism to live a life of service for others and commitment to God. Each and every person has some special attribute or skill that they can use to further the work of God’s plan.
Fr Vivian Redlich stands out, in my mind, as an example of a normal well balanced human being. Vivian was born in South Africa, and, early in life, moved with his family to England. Having completed his theological training, Vivian was ordained a priest in Wakefield Cathedral 1932, aged 26. He served as a curate in England for a couple of years. Then feeling the call to minister in Queensland he set sail for Rockhampton to serve as a Bush Brother at Winton in Western Queensland. The day after arriving from England be boarded a train to Longreach, and then completed his journey to Winton where he ministered in that vast district for the next five years. On completion of his five year contract, Vivian left Winton, intending to return to England. However, by the time his train reached Rockhampton, Vivian, on the spur of the moment, decided to go to Papua instead. The year was 1940. He set sail for Port Morsby, and then by the Anglican Mission boat landing just south of Popondetta, a small town settled by Europeans working mostly in government services. There Vivian was met by the local Anglican mission staff living there. After a rest for couple of days, Vivian hitched a ride on the tray of military truck which was on its way to the native village of Sangara about 20 kilometres north of the Proponent. There Vivian was welcomed by the two school teachers, Lilla Lashmar and Mavis Parkinson and the two nursing sisters, Margery Brenchley and May Hayman. (Vivian’s proposal of marriage was readily accepted by May.)
As the resident priest Vivian celebrated the Holy Communion as the starting point for each day. All was going well until the Japanese army landed on the Gona beach and advanced towards Kokoda and beyond. They each realised the danger that lay ahead. The missionaries gathered together the little they could carry and hid themselves in the jungle. Vivian took his travelling home communion box and each day this small group would celebrate the Eucharist. On a number of occasions the Japanese soldiers could be clearly heard nearby. But Vivian would continue with the communion service seemingly unaware of the nearby danger.
During the days ahead the ten missionaries living in the district were captured. Some of them were handed over to the Japanese soldiers by the local people. Each of them was killed, some by the Japanese soldiers: others by local Papua New Guineans.
Today we have the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of the New Guinea Martyrs. How can we imagine the depth of commitment these twelve ordinary people displayed in the face of certain death. Ten of them went to Papua New Guinea as missionaries, to live a life dedicated and committed to serving God and the Papuan and New Guinea men, women and children. The two Papuan martyrs also sacrificed their lives trusting in God. Little did each of the twelve know that they would be martyred. But they were. And more than that, they were truly faithful to the end.
After the War, many people wished to honour the Anglican Martyrs of PNG by putting a memorial in place to act as an enduring reminder of the twelve faithful Anglicans martyrs.
In July 1947, during an Anglican Church conference in Papua New Guinea, an English woman, Emily Clarke, a teacher, urged for the establishment of a secondary school for boys. By 1948 The Martyrs Memorial School was established. The school consisted of a staff room, two classrooms, a storeroom, office, library, dormitory, staff quarters and a kitchen. All buildings were made entirely of bush materials. On 12th January 1951 Mt Lamington erupted and set a plume of ash up to 50,000 feet, killing up to 3,000 people. Amongst the dead were the two teachers and three local boys.
There is a happy ending to all this. The Martyrs’ Memorial School was rebuilt, a safe distance from Mt Lamington. Today the mountain is still smoking merrily along.
The 2nd of September was selected to commemorate the twelve Anglican Martyrs.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.
May we who are gathered in this congregation die daily to self and live to work and worship to the glory of our wonderful God.
Amen.
(In January 1966 I arrived at the School as a teacher for two years, prior to entering Saint Francis’ College.)