Anglican Church

St Francis Church Dancers at Koki, Port Moresby

ST FRANCIS - KOKI

Rector: Fr Oswald SSF

Assistant: Deacon Nigel Sirigoi

Sunday Mass time: 9am

St Francis' parish at Koki, just along the coast from the old town centre, is the second oldest Anglican parish in Moresby. Dedicated in 1953, it became a Franciscan-run parish when a Household of brothers was established there in 1959 - the first Anglican Friary outside the UK. Currently there are 4 Brothers living there including Br Lawrence, the Head Brother for PNG.

St Francis, Koki

Like St John's, St Francis is located on a steeply sloping site. The solution here was to construct a two-storey building with the church upstairs and the Anglican primary school downstairs. An external staircase serves the main door at the back of this tall wooden-floored and light-filled church with long louvre windows down each side. The sanctuary is dominated by a striking large carved wooden crucifix and tapa-cloth-style design strips painted on the wall. At the back, the font is painted with views of Dogura Cathedral.

The Friary is a separate two-storey building opposite the church with the Brothers living upstairs and more classrooms below. Outside it there is some flat open space under shade trees for parish and school activities. All the buildings are the originals and are in need of repair.

St Francis, Koki - interior

Like St John's, few parishioners live in or near Koki, with most travelling across the city each Sunday for Mass. It is the only parish in the Diocese with a primary school attached to it. The school buildings, however, are run down and there are water supply and sewerage outlet difficulties creating health risks for the students. There are plans to close it when the government builds a new one on another site close by, but until it does St Francis' School remains open.

Former Port Moresby Bishop - Michael with a St Francis Dancer