Gabutu, Port Moresby PNG, 22 March 2022 -- A Solemn Mass in honour of the Feast of St. Joseph was celebrated on 18 March 2022 at Don Bosco Technical School Gabutu, (DBTS) Port Moresby.
The Mass was celebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea, Archbishop Fermin Emilio Sosa Rodriguez. Fr. Jacek Pinocy, Secretary to the Nuncio, Fr. Pedro Sachitula sdb, Rector, and Fr. Ambrose Pereira sdb, Spiritual Moderator of DBTS were the concelebrants. Fr Angelo Fazzini celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the students.
Reflecting on the life of St Joseph, the Apostolic Nuncio highlighted the humble, yet the great person that St Joseph was. He told the students that like each of them who were learning a skill in their respective trades, St. Joseph was a carpenter. “He was a man who worked with his hands to create beautiful things”, he said.
“St. Joseph was a carpenter, but he wasn’t just any carpenter, he was an excellent carpenter. He always gave the best of himself. He wanted to build something good for himself, his family, his community, and his country. Some of you are learning Electrical Technology, others Computing, Fabrication, while some of you are learning fabrication. Commit yourself to your studies so you become the best in what you do and then you can give to others something beautiful as well. You are the future of your families and your country”, he said.
He also stated that St. Joseph was a hardworking man, a man of purity and integrity. He lived an upright life and strived to always reflect the love of God. That we see in his situation with Mary.
“He was engaged to Mary, but something went wrong. She was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Rather than becoming violent and insulting towards Mary, he decided not to put her in any danger and divorce her quietly. His strong faith and his love for Mary and for God then led him to put that all aside and obey God when the Angel visited him and laid out the plan of God”, the Nuncio shared.
He challenged the all-male congregation to be like St. Joseph towards the females in their lives because he stood as an excellent model for what a man should be in his society and for God. Like Joseph they should strive to seek God in all that they did; in the workshop, at home, in the streets living in purity and holiness. To the females, he said when looking for a partner they should find a man that possessed the values of St. Joseph as no matter what, his priorities were always Mary and Jesus.
In conclusion, he encouraged the students to imitate St Joseph. “As St. Joseph who was a man who loved and worked in God’s presence, you too, do everything that you do always thinking of God so he will bless all the works you do,” he said.
With a choir of over a thousand boys, the beautiful liturgy was animated by the DBTS Band Club.
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