St Joseph’s Nudgee College joined Brisbane’s Papua New Guinea community for an Independence Mass and celebration at the school’s Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel in Boondall on September 6.
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Students from Nudgee College and Stuartholme College participated in the opening ceremony as the community gathered to celebrate Papua New Guinea’s 51st year of independence.
The celebration brought together faith and culture, with students taking part alongside the choir and Roro dancers. The choir and Roro dancers featured in the procession and presentation of gifts during the liturgy, bringing cultural elements into the Mass.
PNG community chaplain Carmelite Father Paul Sireh concelebrated the Mass with Passionist Father Tony Simbel. In his homily, Father Sireh focused on the Melanesian approach to resolving conflict and the importance of restoring harmony between people. He connected those traditions with the Christian call to live peacefully with one another.
Within Melanesian cultures, he explained, conflict has traditionally been addressed through processes including mediation and compensation, with an emphasis on restoring social harmony.
Father Sireh said the approach placed greater emphasis on restoring relationships and bringing people and groups back together, rather than concentrating solely on punishment. He linked this message to the Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20, which addresses relationships within the Christian community and what can happen when disagreements arise.
Father Sireh used the passage to highlight the responsibility people have towards one another and the importance of reconciliation within a community.
The homily also turned to relationships, community responsibility and family life. The Mass was followed by a community lunch featuring roast pork, a variety of PNG cuisine and cakes. PNG Brisbane and Gold Coast Catholic Community leader Emilia Taatu described the occasion as a joyful celebration of the Eucharist.
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Students from Nudgee College and Stuartholme College took part in the opening ceremony as the community marked PNG’s independence, alongside the choir and Roro dancers who contributed to the liturgy.
The September 6 gathering celebrated 51 years of Papua New Guinea’s independence, with students, the choir and Roro dancers among those taking part.
Published 11-September-2026
