Anglican Church

SAINT AIDANS - MORATA.

St Aidans is located in perhaps the toughest and most violent of the Moresby settlements. It has a reputation as being a place of rape, murder, robbery and a home to some of the most active and reared gangs in the city. Yet the parish, close to the centre of the settlement, has few problems from these lawless groups. Credit for this goes to the priest and people who have slowly built the parish into a viable community. They have been seen as being at home there and as a part of the wider community. They are poor, struggling and dedicated to the Gospel and this has had a profound impact on their neighbours. It is an ideal place for Anglicans to have a parish as its survival, safety and growth depend entirely on the love and mercy of God - and he has not failed them.

Fr Wellington Aburin, the previous parish priest has set up a house, a church building and an enormous area of land which is set aside for a vocational school in the future. As this is in the middle of one of the fastest growing areas of Port Moresby his vision will enable the Church to provide important services in the years to come.

The present priest, Fr Walter Ataembo, is the senior Archdeacon for the Diocese. He is also the responsible for the institutions in the Diocese (hospitals, correctional institutions and caring groups like the Cheshire homes). He plans to move the parish growth into a local area called Erima, where there are large numbers of Anglican Highlanders who are not a part of any parish or church community. This will greatly enhance the size and ministry of the parish and enable us to minister in a fast growing area that like Morata itself, is troubled by crime and lawlessness.

Fr Walter and his parishioners are working hard to raise money to extend their chapel and to provide a temporary chapel at Erima which will be a focal point for Church growth in that area.