DIOCESE OF AITAPE CHURCH BUILDING PROGRAM

	News report No. 4 July 2002 Diocese of Aitape P O Box 179 Aitape Sandaun Province Papua New Guinea Ph +675 857 2046 fax +675 857 2056
Aitape Haus Lotu Projects

Introduction:
This is the fourth report from the Diocese of Aitape for the month of July about the project to build eleven new permanent churches to replace those destroyed by the Aitape Tsunami disaster of July 1998. Our previous three reports have site visit photos and information for all the sub parishes in Malol, Arop, Sissano and Barupu areas. This report covers the July 17 commemoration at Malol and progress reports for each area.
Below are photos of today and four years ago on July 17.

Aitape in 2002

1. Malol mass on July 17 2002		2. Fr Daniel in the final procession		3. Offertory sing-sing

Aitape in 1998

4. Sissano July 17 1998		5. Some of the 2200 dead		6. Devastation after the Tsunami

July 17 Commemorations:
Providentially the large church at Malol (photo 1,2,3) survived the Tsunami of 1998. It along with the school, convent and presbytery buildings at Malol were the only buildings to remain out of all the devastation that occurred along the coast that day. For most of the year now these buildings are unused because the area is not considered safe for habitation. On July 17 however, there are thousands of survivors and relatives of those who lost their lives who flock back to the old sites to remember and pray for their loved ones. There were celebrations at Barupu, Sissano, Arop and Malol on this day.

Planning for new Churches:

Teles/Lampu: the new site, the foundations at old Teles, proposed new plans

7. Temporary church at Teles		8. Old Teles church foundation		9. Teles at the coastal site

10. Proposed new church for Teles		11. New Church plans started		12. Clearing the site at Teles

Ground clearing work has started at the Teles site this month, with a group of locals employed to cut some of the trees and scrub in readiness for the new church.
Other groups will be employed to build temporary shelters for the materials, and a lockable shed for the tools on the site. It is hoped to involve the locals as much as possible with whatever skills they can contribute to assist in the building of their new facility. It helps build a sense of pride in their own church and also contributes a little to the local economy where there is little paid employment available for the people.

This month a scale model of the new church was made so the people could get an impression of the new building. Plans have started on the structural steel and some of the layout of the new church. The cement, and some of the tools have arrived at Aitape, and more materials are ordered for the next boat. Prices are being sought for the steel fabrication work. A walkabout sawmill and chainsaws have been ordered to fell the trees, and saw them into planks for the new church. A contract has been signed with an earthmoving contractor stationed in Aitape for the transport of gravel from the river to the church sites.

Other Sites:
Work for other sites has focussed on getting the agreements signed between the bishop and the local owners for the land, the gravel and the trees that will be used in the church projects. A report was done for the bishop of options for the Sissano and Barupu church designs. Preliminary design work has begun on two other church sites at Amu and Arop1 and materials ordered for them as well.