Vunapope is the historical and spiritual heart of Catholicism in Papua New Guinea, especially in the New Britain region. It is a large Catholic missionary complex located near Kokopo, about thirty kilometres south of Rabaul. It is the main center of the Archdiocese of Rabaul and in much of the country it is considered the “cradle of evangelisation”.

A bit of history: the original name of the place was Mioko or Kininigunan. In 1895, Bishop Louis André Couppé, MSC, renamed it Vunapope (in Tolai: vuna = place or house; and Pope = Pope), as a tribute to Pope Leo XIII who supported the missions and entrusted the MSC with the evangelisation of the area.

Under Louis Couppé (apostolic vicar from 1889 to 1923), an ambitious plan was developed: to transform the Tolai into an autonomous Christian community, with education, agriculture, and the training of local leaders. And to achieve this, they built schools (elementary, vocational, and for catechists), trade workshops (carpentry, mechanics, etc.), model farms (for copra [dried coconut meat], coconuts, and self-sufficiency), homes for boys and girls, and a great etcetera. Vunapope was, literally, a self-sufficient city.

In the German colonial era (up to 1914), there were dozens of MSC priests, brothers, European and local sisters (including the native FMI sisters, founded by Couppé himself in Vunapope).

During World War II, the area was occupied by the Japanese and Vunapope served as a base, but it resisted and survived.

Here you will find the Sacred Heart Cathedral. The current building is modern because the previous one was destroyed by the Allies in one of the many bombings. The old building was truly majestic. The current one, on the other hand, has a tropical design: it is shaped like a sea snail, with a high ceiling for ventilation, a structure resistant to volcanoes and ash, and elements such as stained glass windows, a central altar, and spacious areas for Tolai liturgical dances.

Currently, Vunapope is a huge complex: it houses the cathedral, the archdiocesan offices, several convents, schools, a hospital, a house for priests, a cemetery, a bookshop, a radio station, sports fields, and a center for meetings of priests and laypeople.

If Rabaul is more of an urban and historical war center, Vunapope is the Tolai Catholic soul: this is where it all began. It is much more than a church. It is a complete mission city, with more than one hundred and thirty years of history.

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