The Marists Set Up New Missions

The Marists operate missions on Bougainville Island, which is northeast of Australia.

The Marists (Society of Mary), who operate Notre Dame in Pontiac and have ministries around the world, have opened up two new mission locations in Papua New Guinea, near Australia in the North Solomon Islands. Bishop Bernard Unabali of Bougainville, which is an island in Papua New Guinea with an 80% Catholic population, writes about the openings:

“Today there are 18 local diocesan priests with three deacons to be ordained later this year for a total of 22 priests, including myself. In addition, there are 11 Marist priests born and raised on Bougainville. Six of those Marist priests work on Bougainville today. Also, there are two Marist bishops from Bougainville working in the South Pacific. One is the bishop of Wanawatu [Vanuatu] Islands and the other is the auxiliary bishop in the South Solomon Islands. The first two priests were ordained on Bougainville in 1953, only five years before I went to Bougainville. God has blessed the Church on Bougainville. Today the bishop and priests are all native Bougainvillians.”

History of the Marists in that part of the world:
• The Marists first set up a mission in the Shortland Islands, south of Bougainville in 1899, and on Bougainville itself in 1901 at Kieta. The mission was established on Buka, to the north of Bougainville about 1910.
• The Bougainville mission has experienced much difficulty in more recent years because of the Bougainville seccessionist movement from 1988 to 1997.
• Estimates of the number who died during those years because of the crisis range from 10,000 to 20,000. In recent times, there are still some areas in the mountains where missionaries cannot go.
At present the Marists in Bougainville are comprised of 13 priests and one seminarian on pastoral year.

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy

Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.