At St Benedict’s Campus DWU we celebrated the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection in a multi-cultural way.

On Palm Sunday the liturgy was prepared by our Southern Region students who built an altar under the great rain tree.  With palm branches in hand we walked the colourfully decorated path leading to the Chapel, praising Jesus as our King, singing Hosanna in the Highest.

For over two weeks leading up to Holy Week ceremonies, our students put much effort and time into practicing the hymns, the processions, the items for the Easter fire as well as finding time for their studies.  On top of that they engaged in much manual work like chopping trees for the Easter Fire, cleaning the Chapel and Easter Square and building a beautiful Haus Kunai for Adoration on Holy Thursday night.

After all this preparation finally the days arrived and on Holy Thursday morning we gathered as community to reflect on the Easter Triduum.  Fr Pat Gesch SVD led us in this reflection by highlighting the hidden meanings and symbols of the Easter Liturgies with the assistance of the RE department.

The great love of Jesus was experienced through the washing of the feet and in its fullness in celebrating the Eucharist during the liturgy of Holy Thursday night.  The joyful singing of the Momads students highlighted the message of the liturgy.  After we processed to the Altar of Repose, each cultural group was given time for adoration. Just moments after midnight the heavens opened, the rain came, thunder and lightning engulfed us and the power went out and as a result we were cast into total darkness.

The heavens continued to pour down on us as we rose early on Good Friday morning to pray the way of the cross.  The students in their class groups dramatized each station and reflected upon its meaning for us today.  At three o’clock it was hard to recognize our Highland students.  Painted from head to toe in clay, chanting hymns of mourning, they led us through a deeper feeling of the death of Jesus.  The day was spent in silent reflection concluding with a movie about the passion of Jesus.

The Paschal candle was lit from the huge Easter Fire and so began the immensely joyful celebration of Easter in our over-crowded Chapel.  The NGI’s singing and choiring was angelic as were their outstanding processions in Tumbuna style.  Christ was truly risen and alive in our celebration which continued around the Easter Fire.  Dramas and action songs outlined the Easter message of new life till the early morning hours.

The Joy of Easter continued during the liturgy of Easter Sunday which was prepared by the Sandaun students.  The theme of new life was expressed in the music, dance and in the baptism of Gabriella Waiin and Kirstin Tuk Tanuk.

Even on Easter Monday, with the Easter Fire still alight, our exhaustion was not extinguished when the Sepik students brought the Chapel alive with their full voices and singsing.

And so our Easter celebrations moved us from darkness to light, from mourning to joy and from death to life.  Thank you all at St. Benedict’s for our wonderful Easter celebrations.

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