At the invitation of Bishop Valentine Gryk and Fr. Adam Samsel of the Goroka Diocese, Tom Hornacek and I had the privilege of leading two separate conferences for the people of the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea. Participants joined us at the Kefamo Pastoral Center in Goroka from several dioceses, enabling us to impact the entire region with the Word of God.

We covered a range of topics, including the work of the Holy Spirit, healing prayer for freedom, Theology of the Body, the universal call to holiness, proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel, apologetics, and the call to mission. Our teachings culminated in taking the participants to the local market to evangelize in downtown Goroka.

Proclaiming the Gospel

On the vigil of Pentecost, I spoke about the spirit of mission and told stories about proclaiming the Gospel to the lost, encouraging the believers with the words of St Paul, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish: so I am eager to preach the gospel . . . For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith” (Rom 1:14-16).

We invited those serious about obeying the Great Commission and ready to say “yes” to the missionary vocation to come forward for prayer. Almost everyone came forward with eyes fixed on Jesus! As we gathered around the altar, the Spirit filled our hearts. This led into a time of prolonged, intense prayer. The presence of the Holy Spirit was doing a very deep work.

There was a particular grace and missionary anointing over the young people. We called the youth forward, prayed over them for an infilling of the Holy Spirit, and encouraged them in the Lord not to despise their youth but to step into God’s plan for their lives. Strong intercessory prayer and loud cries of praise filled the altar area as young and old worshipped their King, and He baptized them “with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Mt 3:11). It felt as though we were in a modern-day Upper Room, experiencing what St. Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost two-thousand years ago: “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your young men will see visions” (Acts 2:17-18).

Songs of celebration and rejoicing continued as we were all filled with joy and the Holy Spirit!

Call to Holiness

We also taught on Theology of the Body and the universal call to holiness. This led into a time of Eucharistic Adoration and confessions. A beautiful spirit of conviction and repentance came over the hearts of those present. The six priests hearing confessions had a constant stream of penitents. Fr. Adam said many came to confession who had not visited this sacrament in years.

The final session was dedicated to the Sacrament of Marriage. This spoke into a huge need in Papua New Guinea, where there are many broken relationships and broken marriages. The Holy Spirit directed us to pray over the married couples present for the grace of God to fill their marriages. Many came forward to receive prayer. We asked the Lord to manifest his glory in their lives as He did at Cana. Pray that God would renew the Sacrament of Marriage in this country!

Evangelization

We took the participants to the market to evangelize. Hundreds gathered to see what was going on. We shared music and a few testimonies. I then read Jeremiah 29:11 in the local language and clearly proclaimed the Gospel.

Many raised their hands to respond to the Gospel! After leading them to Jesus in prayer, we sang songs of praise, and the local Catholic community gave out crucifixes, holy cards, and miraculous medals. It was beautiful to see the Catholics boldly witness for the Lord!

The Gospel contains God’s power for salvation for those who believe. Simple, loving, clear preaching of Jesus has innate power to change lives!

From Tom Hornacek

Arriving in Papua New Guinea is like stepping back in time. The people are poor, grow much of their own food, and rarely have electricity or cars. They use rainwater collected off roofs for drinking, cooking, and washing.

They live life at a slower, loving pace and are filled with zeal for our Lord. They sang praise songs into the night and again with morning prayer. The women danced with hands in the air, thanking the Lord for their faith.

The bishop and his priests and sisters from around the world were inspiring, tending to the souls entrusted to them regardless of the challenges. When the roads end, the priests walk up to ninety minutes to reach their outparishes.

I have much to learn from the simpler way of life and love of my brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea. They changed me more than I changed them.

Words of Gratitude

From Fr. Adam Samsel:

Thank you for these precious days of your ministry, when we experienced heaven on earth. We felt God’s presence among us. This was a life-changing experience. Our people are willing to go evangelize and share their faith. With grateful hearts, we send our greetings and prayers to all who helped these events happen.

From Bishop Valentine Gryk:

Thank you for your ministry among us, for your fire and for being who you are. The fire you have lighted in Goroka is still burning. Thank you for your zeal in spreading the Good News.

This article originally appeared in Renewal Ministries’ January 2025 newsletter.