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| Civil Engineer Samuel Karsailo with paper taking notes accompanied by builder James Akubi scoping the Alexishafen beach to design and build a 500-meter seawall. At the background is late Archbishop Adolph Noser's house. |
Story and pictures by WENCESLAUS MAGUN
An urgent drive to raise K4 million to build a 500-meter seawall construction at Alexishafen Catholic Station, located approximately 25km north of Madang town in Papua New Guinea is currently underway.
This project aims to address the ongoing issues related to coastal erosion and protect the station from the adverse effects of rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
“I am really worried that if nothing is done to prevent the sea from washing away the land that houses the retreat and conference centers and the other buildings here in Alexishafen these historical buildings will soon be washed away”, said Fr George Ryfa, SVD, Alexishafen retreat and conference center manager.
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| Fr. George Ryfa , SVD, James Akubi, builder, and Samuel Karsailo, Civil Engineer discussing plans to build the 500-meter Alexishafen seawall. |
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.
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| Erosion is gradually washing away land where the Madang Archdiocese's Catechist Training Center is located in Alexishafen. |
“We believe that the
construction of a seawall at Alexishafen Catholic Station is crucial to protect
the station, its infrastructure, and the surrounding community from the adverse
effects of coastal erosion and climate change,” reiterated Fr. George.
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.
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| Late Archbishop Adolf Noser's house in Alexishafen facing imminent threat from being washed away. |
Contact details
Fr George Ryfa, SVD, 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 Ryfa, SVD, at gryfasvd@gmail.com or Mobile: 72037533
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| Retreat-Conference Centers in Alexishafen facing imminent threat from rising sea level, sea surges and rapid soil erosion. |
Background
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).
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| St. Michael's Primary School one of the pioneer schools established by the SVDs and SSpS missionaries after arriving in Alexishafen. |
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.
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| The US Navy built its naval base in Alexishafen after defeating Japanese forces in 1944 and remained there till 1945. Alexishafen wharf and warehouse are now in a dilapidated state and needs urgent maintenance and repair. |
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.
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| Alexishafen Meri Safe House provides much needed protection, and counseling for many abused, and traumatized women, men, and families from violence. |
Meri Safe House in the eyes of Tibudhun ELC Congregation of Bagabag Island
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 (Idawan) an island that lies opposite 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 plantations 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.
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| Mother Mary is, was, and will always be in the hearts of missionaries, interceding for the Church. |
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.
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| According to Wikipedia St. Michael's Cathedral was bombed by the Allies who suspected the Japanese army of storing its ammunition in it. |
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 cathedral's façade.
Unfortunately,
this did not eventuate.
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| Remains of a Japanese tanker lying in ruins in Alexishafen where it was bombed during the Second World War in Alexishafen between the Japanese soldiers and the Allies from 1942 to 1944. |
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.
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.
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| The Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS) convent in Alexishafen |
From December 18, 1942, up till April 15, 1944, the Allies occupied Alexishafen after the Australian Army's 30th Battalion in the Battle of Madang liberated Madang and Alexishafen on April 26, 1944. They also captured many Japanese supply dumps and abandoned equipment.
According to information obtained from Wikipedia, the US Navy's 7th Amphibious Force established a base in Alexishafen in May 1944. On June 13, 1944, 200 US Navy's Seabee 91st Construction Battalion arrived in Alexishafen to support their war operations off the north shores of New Guinea. The US Army closed its Naval base 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.
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| Alexishafen's Heart of Mary Health Center is one of the major key social services the Catholic Church continues to provide for sick patients from all religions, denominations, race, creed, ethnic groups, rich or poor, educated or not, and political affiliations. |
Alexishafen health workers combat TB outbreak
The early missionaries including Bishop Francis Wolf were held captive by the Japanese soldiers who took them to the hills of Gayaba ('Gayava', in local dialect) and later walked them to Bogia. From Bogia they sailed to Manam Island 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 warplanes sited the ship at the 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.
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| In 2021, the SVDs and SSpS celebrated their 125 years of mission work in PNG after arriving in Madang on 13 August 1896 from Germany. |
Gildipasi thanks SVD
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.
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| Fr. George Ryfa, SVD, celebrating Christmas with his staff and their families. He appreciates their efforts in faithfully looking after the station. |
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 railroad (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.
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| St. Therese Sisters convent in Alexishafen. |
Life of a nun with St. Therese Sisters
Under the reign of
Archbishop Adolf Noser, founder of the St. Therese’s Sisters, a local
congregation, the Catholic Church in Madang established the SVD high school
which transited to Divine Word Institute in 1979 and later became Divine Word
University in 1996.
Alexishafen currently houses the conference and retreat centers, Prayer House, Holy Spirit
Sisters (SSpS) convent, St. Therese Sisters convent, Meri Safe House, St. Michael’s
Primary School, Alexishafen's Heart of Mary Health Center, 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.
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| Late Archbishop Adolph Noser's grave lying just under the cenotaph of the pioneer missionaries killed during the Second World War. |
Alexishafen also has a
cemetery that has become the safe home for the deceased missionaries with lay
people both past and present.
Some 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 imminent threat of erosion, storm surges, and tidal fluctuations.
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| St. Michael's parish church with the parish priest's house in Alexishafen. |
David Bai's Mangrove Project in Alexishafen
The
existing RD wharf and fishing facilities which have 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 have a social corporate
responsibility to support the locals and the Catholic Church in Madang.
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