By Sr. Florentina Cho, CSJ

Kimbe, PNG, 31 March 2017 -- After the first missionary work in PNG (Araimiri Don Bosco, Kerema diocese in 1986) the Caritas Sisters open the Caritas Secondary Technical Girls School in East Boroko, Port Moresby in 1996. Twenty years later the corageous missionary sisters open another missionary frontier in the diocese of Kimbe, Eastern New Britain, PNG. After few years of negotiations and busy preparation Sr. Sara Park and Sr. Florentina Cho, two founders, settled in Kimbe in early December 2016.

First school year 2017 started like in Bethlehem, they rented a hall of local Catholic parish and with two make up classrooms started their humble new school. Official start happened on February 6, 2017 when they finalized the registration of first students (graduates of grade 8) and held the first school year opening ceremony. Another group of 10 grade graduate girls of Kimbe did request the Caritas Sisters to be accepted as well. The Sisters decided to welcome those out-of-school girls and on February 13 was started the first class of grade 10 students with 10 students and on February 20 another grade 11 students with more than 100 new students. At this moment there are studying in Kimbe 'Caritas Secondary Technical School' 115 girls.

The Caritas Sisters of Jesus are among the 31 official members of the Salesian Family, with about 980 Sisters living in 15 different countries. The Korea - Seoul province of Caritas Sisters of Jesus is in charge of the Papua New Guinea missions in Port Moresby and Kimbe, now with two Secondary Technical Schools staffed with 7 Sisters. Some of their PNG candidates for religious life are now being formed in their formation house Quezon City - Manila, Philippines.

The Caritas Sisters of Jesus are asking your prayers for this newly started fragile mission in Papua New Guinea. Their first Kimbe 'convent' is still a wonderfully colored 20 tons red container!

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