Anglican Church
ST FRANCIS - KOKI
St Francis Church Dancers at Koki, Port Moresby
This parish, as the name suggests, was started by the Franciscans and today is back under the pastoral care of the same order. Br Clifton, who is the Minister Provincial, moved back to St Francis with his brothers, earlier this year (2000) and is looking at rebuilding and restructuring the parish. Like St Martin's, few parishioners live in or near Koki, with most travelling across the city each Sunday for Mass. Yet despite the difficulties, it is a lively and growing parish.
It is the only parish in the Diocese with an Anglican primary school attached to it. The school though has major problems - the buildings are run down and were condemned by the local council some years ago. There are also serious problems with the school's water supply and sewerage outlets, creating high levels of health risks for the students. There needs to be some massive spending on the school to bring it up to standard and there is no clear picture of just where this money will be found. It may well be that the school is closed and the children (of whom only twenty percent are Anglican) found places in other schools in the area.
The people of Koki have responded well to the return of the Franciscans and numbers are growing each week. As a parish they too have been actively involved in the Pentecost 2000 programme and will be playing a major part in the celebrations on Pentecost Sunday.
Former Port Moresby Bishop - Michael with a St Francis Dancer
