The first people came to Papua New Guinea (PNG), the largest island in the Pacific, some 40,000 years ago, migrants from Asia towards Australia or farther into the Pacific. Some settled on the coast of what became the Sandaun province, others travelled up the Sepik River to the inland. It is next to impossible to have an accurate account of these movements due to the lack of written records. The huge drainage ditches in the Whagi valley in the highlands, 6,000 years old, may be one of the earliest food cultivation systems in the world. The great migrations brought a variety of physical and cultural types of people, all described as Melanesians. Of the 800 languages spoken in PNG, English, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu are the three official languages. The population at present is 5,140,000, of whom 85% live in the rural areas.

Chinese and Malay traders, seeking birds of paradise plumes, visited the north coast of the island from the fifteenth century. The first European visitors were coastal explorers from Spain and Portugal from 1526. In 1828, the Dutch seeking to protect their East Indies colonies claimed the western part of the island. Next, Germany in 1884, took possession of the northern regions. Then Britain annexed the southern part, called Papua, and in 1888 this was transferred to neighbouring Australia in 1906.

In 1881, Pope Leo XIII entrusted the entire New Guinea mission to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, MSC, of France. They arrived on the island of Matupit, in East New Britain Province on 29th September 1882. They established another mission on Yule Island, in Papua, three years later. The Society of the Divine Word, SVD, were offered the missions of Eastern and Central New Guinea, which were first established on Tumeleo Island in what would become the Diocese of Aitape.

The SVD missionaries arrived in Madang in August 1896 to establish the Prefecture Apostolic, but could not stay as the ten hectares of land promised them were not available, they were stricken almost immediately with malaria and the resident Lutherans were not pleased to have Catholics moving in. A German plantation manager from Aitape chanced to be in Madang at the time and suggested the new mission start in Tumeleo Island, next to his plantation, where the climate was healthier and the nearest Lutherans were 450 km away in Madang. It took six weeks to move men and material to Tumeleo.

The efficient Germans had brought with them prefabricated buildings and 50 tonnes of cargo, but even so, there remained the daunting tasks of learning a new language, establishing relationships with the people and discovering their customs and beliefs. One of the most difficult challenges was to explain why they had come to Tumeleo. The missionaries started a school but had a hard time convincing the children to stay in class when the beach and the sea were far more attractive. By 1914 there were 68 missionaries and 6 new stations established along the coast. The Holy Spirit Sisters arrived in 1899, setting up schools, clinics and a printing press. Tropical plants, cattle and horses were brought in from Java and catechetical training centers sent pastoral assistants to new areas with spiritual and developmental change as their goal.

Tumeleo was too small and isolated to remain the center of an expanding enterprise and Alexishafen, near Madang, became the Headquarter with better communications and many facilities and training establishments. With new stations continually starting up, the mission needed to be self-supporting. So plantations, workshops, cattle farms, gardens, rice plots and sea transport were established to cut down dependence on foreign goods and services. This became especially important during the First World War when commerce stopped and restrictions were applied to German missionaries by the Australian administration. In 1920 New Guinea became a League of Nations-mandated trust territory under Australia.

The First World War put an end to further expansion of the mission but the missionaries used this time to consolidate their work. Outstations and schools were opened around Wewak and plantations were built up. After the War the two mission territories of Eastern and Central New Guinea were formally divided and Fr. Joseph Loerks was appointed Prefect Apostolic of Central New Guinea. More missionaries arrived from Europe and the expansion continued along the coast and inland. Catechist schools were seen as an important tool of evangelization and contact and the sisters were invaluable in teaching the young men. The Prefecture became a Vicariate and Mgr. Loerks was ordained bishop in Germany. There were now two bishops in New Guinea heading a staff of over 200 male and female missionaries and the future looked bright. Then came war.

The Japanese invaded in 1942, occupied Rabaul and went on to establish themselves on the mainland of New Guinea and the north coast of Papua. All European civilians except the missionaries, who chose to remain, were evacuated. Many missionaries were either killed or imprisoned by the Japanese forces and most of the facilities were destroyed. Catechists, like Blessed Peter to Rot and Magdalena of Tumleo, continued the work of evangelization. Australia resumed control after the war until 16th September 1975, when Papua New Guinea became an independent country with a parliamentary system of government.

During 1946 some 18 priests and 14 brothers who had survived the war arrived back in the Sepik District from Australia and were joined by 6 Franciscans who moved to the Aitape and Vanimo Districts, manning some SVD stations and moving inland over the Torrecelli Mountains. The friars quickly consolidated and expanded their mission, which grew into the Vicariate and then the Diocese of Aitape. Italian Franciscans expelled from China in 1952 continued their mission apostolate in Aitape. Franciscan Sisters joined the friars in 1949, followed over the next two decades by various congregations of Brothers and Sisters. In 1981 the Spiritans sent priests to assist the diocese.

At present the fourth bishop, Austen Crapp, ofm, heads a team of 124 mission workers: priests, brothers, sisters and lay volunteers. The diocese operates through three deanaries, with twenty-four parish centres serving 64,500 catholics in an area of 12,000 km².
Traditionally the people are animists, effectively aware of the spirits of ancestors and the spirits that pervade their traditional environs. Christianity gave them a wider view of the world, both here and hereafter, which gradually appealed to the majority. The Sandaun people made a rapid cultural leap from the Stone Age to modern technology in a few short decades, which in Europe took centuries. The people saw the benefit in the doctrine of a united church that shared a common worldview. Catholic schools educated national leaders and provided a future for those willing to learn. Hospitals provided an alternative to lying sick in a hut with malaria and it was no longer so common for women to die in childbirth. The Church offered a Christian perception of both the Old and the New, focusing on values which stand the test of time.

In order to give social and economic substance to an Independence still largely political, the Diocese offers training in health, education, technical and practical skills, in line with its goals for integral human development. It offers services in health and education to sustain our cultural transients until they can fend for themselves.

Overview

• October 28, 1896 the Society of the Divine Word established the Prefecture Apostolic of Wilhelmsland on Tumeleo Island, Aitape. Fr. Eberhard Limbrock was Prefect Apostolic.



• 8th September 1906 - First report of St. Anna, Aitape, appears in SVD records. 280 hectares planted with coconuts and rubber trees, 100 head of cattle and 20 horses are introduced.



• 1914 - 1918 - First World War forces mission to close schools established in Aitape and other areas. Australian government takes control of New Guinea.



• 1942 - Japanese invade Rabaul and the North Coast.



• 15th May 1952 - Prefecture Apostolic of Aitape officially instituted under Monsignor Ignatius Doggett.



• 11th November 1956 – Aitape designated as a Vicariate Apostolic.



• 15th November 1966 - Diocese of Aitape set up along with all other missions.

Bishops of Aitape

• Bishop Ignatius John Doggett ofm - Resigned 1969
• Bishop William Kevin Rowell ofm - 1970 - 1986
• Bishop Brian James Barnes ofm - 1988 – 1997
• Bishop Austen Robin Crapp ofm – 1999 --

The ordination of the Most Reverend Austen Crapp ofm, was the culmination of a very active and dedicated life in several roles in ministry to the Diocese of Aitape.
Born in Sydney, Australia in 1934, Bishop Crapp was educated by the Christian Brothers of Ireland at Tamworth in rural New South Wales. At the age of 18, the young Austen Crapp began his novitiate with the Order of Friars Minor, Franciscans. He made his final religious profession on May 3rd, 2956.

Austen studied Philosphy for three years before moving across town to St. Paschal' College, Box Hill for a further three years studying Theology. On 21st July 1959, in Armidale New South Wales, Austen Crapp was ordained a priest.

Fr. Crapp worked for 17 months on Palm Island Aboriginal settlement, Queensland and was then posted to Papua New Guinea. After a brief orientation period he arrived at Mukili, near Nuku, to set up a mission station in May 1962. Mukili was a new parish and the young Fr. Crapp was the first resident missionary. His first priority was to know the culture and to establish a Christian community. He oversaw the construction of the church, airstrip, clinic and school.

Fr. Crapp served at Mukili until October 1966 when he was appointed Army Chaplain, posted first to Moem Barracks, Wewak for 11 years then in 1977, three years at Igam Barracks, Lae. In May 1980, he was recalled to Townsville, Australia to serve at Lavarak Barracks. In 1982 Fr. Crapp resigned from the army and returned to pastoral work and served as Dean at Lumi Parish, Aitape.

Fr. Crapp was gaining responsibility when a year after his return to PNG he was appointed Vicar General under Bishop Kevin Rowell. In October 1986, upon the death of Bishop Rowell, Fr. Crapp became Diocesan Administrator until the appointment of Bishop Brian Barnes just less than 12 months later.

In 1987, Fr. Crapp was elected Provincial of the Order of Friars Minor. He served in this capacity for six years before relingquishing the position and moving to Canada where he studied for a Licentiate in Canon Law at St. Paul University, Ottawa.

Fr. Crapp returned to Aitape in 1996 and set up an inter-diocesan tribunal to deal with marriage annulments, and he also arbitrated all land disputes. All this while serving as parish priest at Pes, a position he occupied right up to his Episcopal election to the See of Aitape in April 1999.

In 1997, when Bishop Barnes was tranferred to Port Moresby, Fr. Crapp again found himself serving as Diocesan Administrator. It was during his time as Diocesan Administrator that Fr. Austen Crapp distinguished himself through his decisive and pro-active handling of rescue and relief services following the July 17th 1998 Tsunami tragedy.

In April 1999 he was appointed Bishop of Aitape and ordained in the presence of family and friends from Australia and Papua New Guinea. Bishop Austen immediately set about organising the diocese in pastoral ministry, administration and development projects in such a way that a local Melanesian bishop could succeed him in the See. He attended Divine Word University in Madang to gain a Diploma in Business Administration to better understand the process of management. He invited the national team of the Better World Movement to come to Aitape to initiate a common pastoral plan for all parishes, with the aim of empowering the laity to be a Church fully Alive in Christ.

When the diocese was incorporated as a legal entity in PNG, Bishop Austen established a management system by committee and put in place a corporate plan for the diocese which included both pastoral ministry and community services, such as health, education, youth, parole of offenders, women's affairs and others.

For development towards a better quality of life for the people, a company known as the Aitape Foundation Service was established as the business arm of the diocese which encompasses eco-forestry sawmill, mechanical workshop, cattle farm, concrete manufactures, construction and rental of houses. This has already turned a profit and is likely to expand in the future. All this progress was achieved with staff and management cooperation in line with the vision statement of the diocese.

A large crowd of clergy, religious and laity farewelled Bishop Austen on his return to Australia on 23rd April 2009, after his decade of Episcopal ministry in Aitape. He will be stationed in a Franciscan Parish in Townsville, Queensland for the remainder of his active life.