Priest dies after 54 years of services to PNG

A Catholic Priest who has spent 54 years in remote and rural areas of PNG helping people in spiritual, social and material development has passed on..

Fr. Joseph (Joe) Bisson SVD, a Divine Word Missionary, was called home at the age of 89 on August 30th, 2025 at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview Illinois, Chicago USA.

The Late Fr. Bisson's missionary life of 54 years in PNG started in 1964 after arriving in Mt Hagen from USA.

Born in 1936 in USA to parents from Canada and Boston, he is the third of the seven children in the family.

He was ordained as a priest in 1963 after joining the SVD Missionary Society after being inspired by a priest in 8th Grade in Boston that got him to take up missionary training.

He spent 30 years in Kiripia Parish of the Mt Hagen Catholic Archdiocese in Tambul/Nebilyer District, WHP.

He was behind the establishment of Kiripia Catholic Secondary School together with the teachers and the board to improve education access.

The Late Fr. Bisson also built a two storey house in Kiripia that served as a small hospital, providing health services with support from overseas missionaries.

Fr. Bisson SVD (late) spent another 22 years in Mun Parish in Dei District, WHP where he built quality Parish infrastructure.

Another one year of his missionary life was spent at St Rose of Lima Parish-Kuruk in the Mul District.

Late Fr. Joseph Bisson held a Masters Degree in Education, a Theology Degree and a Secondary Teachers Certificate, which empowered him to lead spiritually and academically.

He played a fundamental role in the early development of what is now Divine Word University in Madang when it was an institute.

In 2017, he was honoured in the New York Honours for his lifelong missionary service and also received the Logohu Award " Star of Melanesia" for service to the Catholic Church and the Highlands community as a Divine Word priest for over 54 years in areas of education, health and pastoral care.

In the early years, he worked with missionaries like Fr. William Ross, Fr. Arnold Steffan and Fr. Jerry Bus.

Fr. Joe Bisson (right in yellow shirt) with the police officer; Kund Paul, a most feared policeman back then in the 1990s at Tambul Catholic Mission Station, WHP ( Pic courtesy of Paul Van Staveren and supplied by Mt Hagen Catholic Archdiocese)

Late Bisson has worked in primary evangelisation and shared Bible reflection every Friday for 20 minutes through Catholic Radio Triniti FM in Mt Hagen.

Bisson was also involved with renewal programmes on the Archdiocese of Mt Hagen through Movement for a Better World and was the Chairman of the National Charismatic Service Committee in PNG for many years.

He left PNG shores in 2017, went back to Boston, returned to PNG in 2022, and visited both Kiripia and Mun Parishes and had celebrations with the people for the last time until his passing on August 30th this year.

Catholic Christians especially in the Highlands have shared gratitude to God for Late Fr. Joseph Bisson who has contributed immensely for the social and spiritual development of the people and communities.