Catholic faithful urged to follow St Peter Torot’s path
Over a thousand Catholic faithful gathered on Sunday at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium to celebrate the Thanksgiving Mass for Saint Peter Torot following his canonization on the 19th of October 2025 at St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
In his address, Cardinal Sir John Ribat highlighted the significance of the mass, which coincided with PNG's 50th independence anniversary.
The theme "Conquering Darkness with the Light of God's Word" resonated through the homily delivered by Bishop Jozef Roszynski SVD, Bishop of Wewak and Deputy of the Social Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops of Papua New Guinea.
Bishop Roszynski reflected on his experience in 1995 when Pope John Paul II declared Peter ToRot blessed, recalling the vibrant congregation, the Pope's smile, and the joyful singing despite the rain.
"And yet, it was somehow claimed that the ceremony was supposed to happen in Rabaul, but then, before it happened, the volcano erupted. And some were questioning, how comes? What does it mean? When I look at it from this time, I believe that was the thing which I personally called the finger of God.
The finger of God is an extension of declaring Peter ToRot as blessed in Port Moresby, the capital city, because of the action, so that the whole nation will understand and accept that Peter ToRot is the blessed martyr for the whole country, not just for the Tolai people."
Bishop who also participated in the canonization of Blessed Peter ToRot in Rome says it was declared in Rome that To Rot was not only a Saint for Papua New Guineans, but for the whole world as well.
He says that many people around the world express their admiration on Torots story, saying he sacrifice his life for the faith and for the word of God in which he truly followed.
He is the light that rises from the Pacific, because he is literally the saint of the people of the Pacific, the first and the only at this moment.
Bishop Roszynskial encouraged the congregation to give thanks to God for the Golden Jubilee year and to draw inspiration from the Saint Peter Torots life story.
He also commended all those who worked hard for this to happen, Fr Thomas Ravioioli, who was the vice-Postulator, with other Bishops and Priests as well.
An Expo choir competition and music festival will happen after the holy mass, where pati pots doi and Catholic artists will perform.
The thanks giving mass was a joyous celebration of faith, dedicated to the nation's first saint, Peter Torot.
It marked a unifying moment for the Catholic community across Papua New Guinea.