THE brother of a Papua New Guinea martyr is helping to fund a
teachers' college in his memory.
The Revd Vivian Redlich was one of the Gona New Guinea martyrs -
a group of missionaries who were thought to have been killed by
Japanese forces during the invasion. A few years ago, however,
relatives of tribesmen who, they said, had killed Fr Redlich
confessed that they felt cursed by the murder.
His brother, Patrick Redlich, visited New Guinea to offer
forgiveness and attend a service of reconciliation, which was
attended by 1500 people. As he was leaving, the Bishop at that
time, the Rt Revd Joe Kopata, spoke with him about the need for a
college to train teachers to work in remote areas, where there is
much illiteracy.
Mr Redlich, who now lives in Australia, donated the profits from
his book about his brother's life and death to the project, the
Vivian Redlich Teachers' College. It was partly constructed, but
government money had not yet materialised, Mr Redlich said, and
work on the college, where every building would be named after one
of the martyrs, had stalled.
An appeal for the $A500,000 (about £254,000) needed has been
launched. Donations can be sent to Fr Redlich's former parish,
Dewsbury, where he was a curate, c/o the Revd E. Lee, The Minster
Church of All Saints, Rishworth Road, Dewsbury WF12 8DD.