 |
| James Akubi carrying out Alexishafen seawall scoping study. Picture by Wenceslaus Magun |
By WENCESLAUS MAGUN
Alexishafen is located in Lat 5° 4' 60S Long 145° 48' 0E in Papua New Guinea (Wikipedia). “Alexishafen”, is named after a Russian duke by some Russians
who surveyed the New Guinea coastline in the early 1800s. It is situated eight (8) nautical miles
(25km) to the north of Madang town.
On August 13, 1896, the first six missionaries from the
congregation of the Societas Verbi Divini
(SVD) or the Divine Word Missionaries led by their first SVD Superior, Fr.
Eberhard Limbrock, 36, arrived in Friedrich-Wilhemshafen (Madang town) in
obedience to their founder Fr. Arnold Janssen (now Saint Arnold Janssen).
They came intending to establish their first mission post in Friedrich-Wilhemshafen
(Madang town) in New Guinea.
After arriving in Madang they were not cordially welcomed by the Lutherans (Rhenish Mission Society) nor did the German New Guinea Company Neuguinea-Kampegnte, who were administering Madang back then, who failed to give them a 10-hector land promised to them.
This forced Fr. Limbrock and his five companions, Fr. Franz
Vormann, Fr. Joseph Edweg, Brothers Canisius Hautkappe (a mechanic), Eustochius
Tigges (a carpenter and cabinet maker) and Theoducph Schmidt (a cook and tailor)
to move six weeks later to Tumleo Island, 450 km northwest of Madang in current
Sundown Province, where they established their first mission station in 1886
after buying a plantation from Neuguinea-Kampegnte.
 |
| Rising sea levels will definitely wash away this road linking the SSpS and St. Theresa Sisters, with the Meri Safe House, St. Anna's TVET, Retreat and Conference Center, main wharf, warehouse, the prayer house, catechists training center, leading to St. Michael's Primary School, the parish church the staff houses for teachers, health workers, hospital, and onto the main road. |
Before moving to Tumleo, Fr. Limbrock stricken by Malaria stayed back in Friedrich-Wilhemshafen (Madang town) and in September 1896 visited Alexishafen for the first time and was impressed by the site. He was accompanied by Brothers Eustochius and Theodulph who later went to Tumleo from Alexishafen to join their companions.
Whilst, staying in Friedrich-Wilhemshafen (Madang town), he sent
Fathers Vormann and Edweg and Brothers Canisius ahead to Tumleo to establish
their first SVD Catholic mission station there.
They were later joined by the first Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS)
in 1899.
In 1904 Fr. Limbrock returned to Friedrich-Wilhemshafen (Madang
town) and went to Alexishafen again, where he bought 160 hectares of land and
established their second mission station in New Guinea.
In June 1904, a contract of sale was closed with the owner of
the property, Mr Futol who was the inhabitant of Sek an island which lies
opposite to the entrance of the harbor Fr Limbrock was joined by Br. Canisius
Hautkappe (a mechanic), and Br. Sylvester Litzenberger. After settling in at Alexishafen, Fr.
Limbrock celebrated his first Mass on March 23, 1905.
Work began in cleaning and clearing up the 160 hectares of
land. Local laborers helped the early
missionaries in clearing the station.
They also helped plant coconuts, and rubber plantation as well as
looking after pigs, and cattle so the early missionaries could sustain their
activities, and lives and not rely heavily on their Mother House in Germany or
Europe for its supplies.
 |
| Wenceslaus helping James Akubi carrying out the seawall scoping study. |
By the 1930’s the construction and development of Alexishafen reached its peak under Bishop Francis Wolf, the first SVD Bishop of East New Guinea with the completion of a majestic St. Michaels cathedral in 1939.
More priests and brothers arrived from Europe which strengthened
the growth of the mission activities. Remote areas were reached by small planes
and boats which continued their services until the 1980’s.
From 1926 to 1939 mission work spread far and wide from
Alexishafen into the hinterlands, coastal regions, far flung islands and
eventually into the highlands of New Guinea.
One outstanding structure built during the reign of Bishop
Francis Wolf, SVD, bishop of East New Guinea, was the construction of St.
Michael’s cathedral. History shows that St. Michael’s cathedral was believed to
be the biggest and the best in PNG and the Pacific at that time.
St. Michael the archangel’s statue was brought to Alexishafen
from Germany in 1939 and was planned to be placed in the cathedral’s niche high
up on the cathedrals façade.
Unfortunately, this did
not eventuate.
The allied forces who were hunting for the Japanese soldiers who
arrived early in the morning on 23rd December 1942 in barges, and
forcefully occupied St. Michael’s Alexishafen, raided Alexishafen on 1st
September 1943 and flattened it including bombing the majestic cathedral.
 |
| Late Archbishop Adolph Noser's house about three meters from the beach is facing imminent threat from rising sea levels. |
Under the Japanese occupation, the Japanese Army developed the
Alexishafen area into a base and airfield area expanding to Danip and building a
runway to the south for bombers. It was
known as Alexishafen Airfield.
Allied aircraft bombed, flattened the area, and neutralized the
airfields in late 1942 until 1944.
From December 18, 1942, up till April 15, 1944, the Allies
occupied Alexishafen. The US Navy also established its Naval base in
Alexishafen on June 13, 1944, as a base to support their war operations after
capturing many Japanese supply dumps and abandoned equipment. They closed it on
January 28, 1945.
Fortunately, St. Michael’s statue was not destroyed during the
Allied raids as it was stored on the verandah of the brothers’ house which was
not bombed. St. Michael’s statue now rests in the SVD’s house at Divine Word
University in Madang town.
 |
| The cenotaph of missionaries killed during WW2 in Alexishafen cemetery. Late Archbishop Adolph Noser buried right in front of the cenotaph. |
The early missionaries including Bishop Francis Wolf were held captive by the Japanese soldiers who took them to the hills of Gayaba and later walked them to Bogia. From Bogia they sailed to Manam and joined other Lutheran missionaries. As they were sailing from Manam en route Hollandia (present-day Jayapura in West Papua), on a Japanese ship Yorishime Maru, the American war planes sited the ship at day time and bombed it near Wewak harbor, killing many on board. Those who survived and were brought to the Wewak hospital for treatment also died including Bishop Wolf. His remains were later brought back to Alexishafen and was buried in the chapel which has replaced the majestic St. Michael’s cathedral he once built.
Gayaba is now respected by the Catholics in Madang. Pilgrims visit Gayaba for spiritual enrichment
annually. This sacred site is now known
as “Maria Helpim” in Tok Pidgin or “Mary, Our Lady of Perpetua Help.”
Prior to the Second World War, and after the war, Alexishafen
grew into the epicenter of the Catholic Church in East New Guinea.
SVD and SSpS mission services continued after the Second World War using mission boats and planes.
The SVD and SSpS missionaries and lay people provided shipbuilding and maintenance, carpentry and joinery, mechanical and machining,
electrical, butchery, and plumbing services, as well as built health centers
and schools and provided medicines, doctors, sisters, nurses and teachers to
run these institutions.
They also established the first Doilon post office, a catechist training
school at Gayaba, a domestic girls school in Alexishafen which has now become a Technical
Vocational Educational Training (TVET) school and a rail road (known as Bonny Railway or donkey railway) connecting Alexishafen and Gayaba Catechist training
center.
The SVDs and SSpS also helped establish St. Michael’s primary
school, shoe shop, printing house, and sawmill and created job opportunities for
many local and expatriate men and women.
Many of these services have been closed after the SVD handed the
property over to the Madang Archdiocese in 1994/95.
Under the reign of Archbishop Adolf Noser, founder of the St.
Theresa’s Sisters, a local congregation, the Catholic Church in Madang
established the SVD high school which transited to Divine Word Institute in
1979 later became Divine Word University in 1996.
 |
| Alexishafen map courtesy of Wikipedia |
Alexishafen currently houses the conference and retreat centers, Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS), St. Theresa Sisters Convent, Meri Safe House, St. Michael’s Primary School, Alexishafen Hospital, Catechist Training Centre, St. Anna’s TVET, a teaching congregation of sisters from India, the Assisi Sisters of Immaculate Conception who are currently teaching at St. Jacinta Day High School, at Maren, residential houses for teachers, nurses, sisters and other workmen for the station.
Alexishafen also has a cemetery that has become the safe home
for the deceased missionaries with lay people both past and present.
Many of the war relics and the historical buildings built in
Alexishafen by the pioneer missionaries, including the main wharf and jetty
with the newly built structures today face the eminent threat from erosion,
storm surges, and tidal fluctuations.
In addition, the existing RD wharf and fishing facilities which is
been taken over by the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) and the establishment
of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) opposite Alexishafen pauses an eminent
marine and social threats to the livelihoods of the inhabitants in the
surrounding areas. These corporate
entities and the State has a social corporate responsibility to support the
locals and the Catholic Church in Madang.
 |
| Locals collecting scrap copper metals to sell for a living. |
Project Overview:
The proposed project entails the construction of a robust and
sustainable 500-meter seawall along the coastal area of Alexishafen Catholic
Station. The seawall will provide essential protection against erosion, storm
surges, and tidal fluctuations, safeguarding the station's infrastructure,
land, and inhabitants.
Project
Objectives:
The primary objectives of this project are as follows:
a. Mitigate coastal
erosion: The seawall will act as a barrier, preventing further erosion of the
coastal land.
b. Protect
infrastructure: The construction of a seawall will safeguard critical
infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and utilities, from damage caused
by rising sea levels and storm surges.
c. Preserve the
environment: The proposed seawall design will incorporate environmentally
friendly materials and construction practices to minimize any negative impact
on the surrounding ecosystem.
d. Enhance
community resilience: By providing a protective barrier, the seawall will
enhance the resilience of the Alexishafen Catholic Station community against
climate change and its associated risks.
Remains of a destroyed Japanese tanker bombed
in Alexishafen by the Allies during the Second
World War from 1942 to 1944.
He said his team of experienced professionals are committed to delivering a high-quality seawall project that meets any keen donor’s requirements and ensures the long-term sustainability of the seawall.
Contact details
Fr George and his team are delighted to discuss this project further and answer any questions or concerns from anyone who may have any queries about it.
Please feel free to contact Fr. George at gryfasvd@gmail.com or Mobile: 72037533
No comments:
Post a Comment