NEW SAINT OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

 

Among the Blesseds to be canonized this year is the martyr, PETER TO ROT, who is the first saint of Papua New Guinea. He served as catechist in his village and was entrusted with the local parish during World War II when Imperial Japanese forces occupied the region.

He stood up for religious values in the face of Japanese oppression and continued to hold secret services when the Japanese restricted him from active pastoral service. Bl.To Rot was an outspoken critic of  the Japanese. 

 Bl. Peter To Rot was born  in 1912 on the New Pomerania island in the then-German New Guinea. He was the third of six children of the well-respected village chief, Angelo Tu Puia,  and Maria Ia Tumul who had both converted to Catholicism in 1898.

 His father taught him the basics of catechism and sent him to the local mission school in 1919 despite the fact that education was not an obligation at the time. He was quite agile in climbing coconut trees and he was more than willing to do this to acquire coconuts for older villagers.

 In 1930 Father Laufer, the parish priest of Rakunai, asked Bl. Peter’s father if he would allow the young man to start his studies for the priesthood. His father said that the time was not right for that but it would be more than appropriate if his son studied to become a catechist. He began his studies at Saint Paul's College of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Taliligap after which he was commissioned as a catechist for the parish of Rakunai in 1933 when the local bishop gave him the catechist's cross. He then returned to his village where he would go on to aid Father Laufer. He was an excellent teacher and an organizer of classes for all. It was noted tha he had a Bible on his person at all times.

 In 1936 he married Paula Ia Varpit and the couple went on to have three children, one  who died as an infant and another dying soon after the war. His final child, a girl, Rufina La Mama, was born after Bl. To Rot's death and is still alive. 

Once the Japanese forces occupied the nation in March 1942 their soldiers interned all of the foreign missionaries though remained indifferent to religion on the whole. The parish priest left Bl. Peter in charge of his parish and he became its active leader. He cared for those who were ill and poor while also aiming to better educate converts.

Towards late 1943 the Japanese authorities restricted religious services and a few months later forbade them in full. But  Bl.for his own life despite the fear of those around him. The destruction of the church a short while later saw him build a "bush church" outside the village to hold secret services; he kept records of baptisms and weddings there.

 He was planting vegetables to give to the Japanese when he was arrested on Christmas 1944.

 According to accounts, his questioning by the official was a  farce as well as an expression of the crudest violence. He was sentenced to two  months' imprisonment. Later, referring to his imprisonment, Bl. Peter said: "I  am here because of those who broke their marriage vows and because of those who  do not want the growth of God's kingdom".

He was held in a  concentration camp which had been set up in a cave. Various accusations were leveled at him, including: religious gatherings, undue interference in the Japanese plan for polygamy, and persistence in his catechetical activities.

 On one occasion his wife and two children came to visit him and she begged him to give up being a catechist so he would remain safe. But Bl. Peter was adamant he would not relinquish his responsibilities to the people. On the date of his death he said to his mother: "the police told me that, this evening, a Japanese doctor will come to give me some medicine. Surprising since I'm not sick. I suspect this is a trick. He told his wife to bring his cross and good clothes so he could go to God dressed in proper attire.

He was given a lethal injection and then given something to drink. But the guards seeing that the poison was slow to act so made him lie down while the doctor covered his mouth. He was stricken with convulsions and was held down as he died while being struck on the back of his neck with a beam. Upon his death a policeman went to the chief of the village, Rakunai and said: "Your catechist is dead".

The incredulous chief demanded to know what the officers did to Bl.To Rot but the officer said: "He fell ill and died". His uncle Taura was sent to the prison to view the body and to take him for burial. His remains were found warm and still curled up with cotton stuffed in his ears and nose with blood and a red scarf wrapped around his neck. The back of his neck was swollen and bore wounds and a clear needle mark was present on his right arm. He was given a chief's funeral in the Catholic cemetery, but the funeral was held in silence because people feared the Japanese.

The government of Papua New Guinea is so thrilled to have this native being honored by the Church, that they issued a series of postage stamps depicting his life.  May his devotion to the Lord be an example to his people today.