Diocese of Mendi, Papua New Guinea

Continent: Oceania

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Mendi / 門迪 (正體中文) / Mendien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Mount Hagen

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1958.11.13: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Mendi / 門迪 (正體中文) / Mendien(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Port Moresby)
1965.07.06: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Mendi / 門迪 (正體中文) / Mendien(sis) (Latin)
1966.11.15: Promoted as Diocese of Mendi / 門迪 (正體中文) / Mendien(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Madang)
1971.01.16: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Kerema
1982.03.18: Became suffragan of Mount Hagen

Contact Info

Address: Bishop’s House, P.O. Box 69, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province 251, Papua New Guinea

Phone: 54.91.102

Present Prelates

Bishop (2011.11.22 – ...):

Bishop Donald Francis Lippert, O.F.M. Cap. (67)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Mendi (Roman Rite)

Bishop Donald Francis Lippert, O.F.M. Cap. (67)
(2011.11.22 – ...)

Bishop of Mendi (Papua New Guinea)

Stap wanbel wantain sios

Born:	1957.06.12 (Pittsburgh, PA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1985.06.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.02.04

Bishop of Mendi (Papua New Guinea) (2011.11.22 – ...)

Bishop Stephen Joseph Reichert, O.F.M. Cap. (81) (later Archbishop)
(1995.02.03 – 2010.11.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Madang (Papua New Guinea)

Laikim God na ol manneri

Born:	1943.05.14 (Leoville, KS, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1969.09.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1995.05.07

Bishop of Mendi (Papua New Guinea) (1995.02.03 – 2010.11.30)

President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Soloman Islands (1999 – 2002)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madang (Papua New Guinea) (2010.11.30 – 2019.07.26)

Apostolic Administrator of Wewak (Papua New Guinea) (2013.09.20 – 2015.02.06)

Vice-President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Soloman Islands (2014.05 – 2020.07.02)

Bishop Firmin Martin Schmidt, O.F.M. Cap.
(1966.11.15 – 1995.02.03)

Born:	1918.10.12 (USA)
Ordained Priest:	1946.06.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1965.12.15
Died:	2005.08.04 († 86)

Prefect Apostolic of Mendi (Papua New Guinea) (1959.04.03 – 1965.07.06)

Titular Bishop of Conana (1965.07.06 – 1966.11.15)

Vicar Apostolic of Mendi (Papua New Guinea) (1965.07.06 – 1966.11.15)

Bishop of Mendi (Papua New Guinea) (1966.11.15 – 1995.02.03)

President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Soloman Islands (1978 – 1983)

Vicars Apostolic of Mendi (Roman Rite)

Bishop Firmin Martin Schmidt, O.F.M. Cap.
(1965.07.06 – 1966.11.15)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Mendi (Roman Rite)

Fr. Firmin Martin Schmidt, O.F.M. Cap. (later Bishop)
(1959.04.03 – 1965.07.06)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Mother of the Divine Shepherd Cathedral, Mendi, Southern Highlands

Daru–Kiunga (←), Aitape (↖), Wabag (↑), Wewak (↑), Mount Hagen (↗), Kundiawa (→), Kerema (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 25,500 km²

Population: 86,129 Catholics (9.7% of 889,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 31 parishes, 2 missions

Personnel: 44 priests (19 diocesan, 25 religious), 97 religious (34 brothers, 63 sisters), 25 seminarians