OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Appointment of the Bishop of Mendi

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI on November 22, 2011 appointed Rev. Fr. Donald Lippert, O.F.M. Cap, Advisor to the Vice-Province of the Capuchin Friars in Papua New Guinea as Bishop of the Diocese of Mendi (Papua New Guinea).
Rev. Fr. Donald Lippert, O.F.M. Cap, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, on June 12, 1957. After the primary and secondary studies in Pittsburgh, he graduated in Philosophy at St. Fidelis College, Herman, Pennsylvania, in 1979. In August the same year he began the formation program of the Capuchin Friars of the Province of St. Augustine in Pennsylvania. In 1984, he obtained a Masters of Arts at the Washington Theological Union in Washington D.C.. On August 20, 1983 he professed his final vows and was ordained on June 8, 1985. After Ordination, he was sent by the Capuchin Friars to Belgium, where he obtained a Master of Arts in Philosophy, at the Catholic University of Louvain (1994-1995). After his priestly Ordination, he has held the following positions: 1985 - 1986: Member of the Community of the Capuchin Friars of San Miguel in Pittsburgh and Responsible for the promotion of vocations; 1986 - 1989: Parish, Vicar, Our Lady of Peace Parish in Conway , Pennsylvania (USA); from 1989 to 1994: Member of the Capuchin Community of Sacred Heart, in Washington (U.S.A) 1989 - 1992: Coordinator of the program for Hispanic candidates; 1992 - 1994: Coordinator of the program for Hispanic candidates, co- founder of the "Latino Civil Rights Task Force" of the "Multicultural Task Force" in Washington, and a Member of the Board of Directors of Carroll publishing house; 1994 - 1997: Member of the Capuchin Community of St. Paul's in Cleveland, Ohio (USA) 1994 - 1995: Studies at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh (USA), and Leuven, Belgium, for the Master in Philosophy; from 1995 to 1998: Teacher at Charles Borromeo Seminary, and Professor of Philosophy at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio (U.S.A ) 1996 - 1997: Vicar and First Counsellor of the Province of the Capuchin Friars of Saint Augustine in the United States; 1997 - 2002: Member of the Capuchin Community of St. Felix in Wickliffe, Ohio (USA) from 1997 to 1998: Guardian of the Capuchin Community Wickliffe, 1998 - 2002: Guardian and Director of the Capuchin Friars formation, Professor of Philosophy at John Carroll University, residing in the parish of Saint Francis of Assisi in Cleveland, Member of the Council of Priests of the Diocese of Cleveland and Presbyterian Moderator of the same See; 2002 - 2004: Member of the Capuchin Community of the Capuchin College in Washington DC, 2002 - 2005: Director of the Hispanic Catholic Center and Deputy Director of the House of Padre Pio for the candidates of the Capuchin Friars in Washington, DC, appointed to the Commission for human rights by the Mayor of Washington, DC, 2004 - 2007: Member of the Capuchin Community of St. Augustine in Pittsburgh, Provincial Vicar and Administrative Secretary of the Capuchin Province of St. Augustine; Local Vicar of the Developement Advisory Board; Member of the Board of Directors of Seraphic Mass Association (SMA); from 2007 to 2010: was sent as a missionary to Papua New Guinea (orientation in the parish of Queen of the Friars Minor in Kagu); Guardian and Director of the Formation at the Capuchin Friars College in Bomana and Professor at the Catholic Theological Institute ( CTI) since 2010: First Counsellor of the Vice-Province of the Capuchin Friars in Papua New Guinea.
The Diocese of Mendi (1966), suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen, has an area of 23,800 square kilometers and a population of 600,000 inhabitants, of whom 114,000 are Catholics. There are 19 parishes, 36 priest, 70 nuns and 22 seminarians (15 diocesans and 7 Capuchins). (SL) (Agenzia Fides 22/11/2011)