Had it not been for my predecessor, Msgr. Richard Tofani, I would never have realized that being on a mission trip can never be easy.  It can be risky, challenging and open to our protected vulnerabilities and sheltered woundedness.

Jesus sent his disciples on a mission and that is the guiding principle.  Whenever a person therefore goes on a mission, one has to remember and follow what Jesus told him. Coincidentally, that was the Gospel text the week I left for Papua New Guinea.

First, Jesus said not to take anything with us on our journey.  That was failure number one on my part.  I had my passport to establish my identity, my credit cards to access some money, my camera to capture the needs of the people I will be visiting, my clothes, my prayerbook, my iPad, iPod and iPhone to remain in contact, my medicine pills to keep me healthy.  My, my, my.

No bread.  Check.  But, does cash count as bread in today’s world?  No money on my belt.  Check.  But does money in my pocket count? No traveling bag.  I had three — one checked in, one carry-on and one for my iPad.  

There were two instructions from our dear Lord, though, that I did follow.  I did wear sandals.  And I did not put on two tunics.

Now, where did I go?

Everyone knows about the mission churches of the Church in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas.  But not everyone knows about our mission in Oceania.

Where is Oceania?  It is a region near Down Under, Australia.  It is composed of a group of islands, where the ocean can be its biggest adversary or its greatest ally.  No roadways connect the islands, though some of them are linked by mountains and ridges.  Only by flying or through their small boats can people get from place to place.

I took four plane rides to get to the Diocese of Alotau.  First, it was a 12-hour flight from JFK Airport in New York to Tokyo, then Manila.  I had a layover in Manila, took another five-hour flight to Port Moresby, another four-hour layover then another hour to Alotau.  I left the States noontime Feb.1 and I arrived in Alotau close to noontime Feb. 4. 

Time was not my only constraint.  There were also fatigue, lack of sleep and time changes.  With an unfamiliar country, there was also adapting myself to the food and the water, plus, the various immunizations and sickness prevention pills to take.

And to think that I was just visiting the mission Church for more than a week.  What about those missionaries who spent years, even their entire lives, with these mission churches?

I take my hat off to Msgr. Tofani.  He did 26 missionary trips as director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Diocese of Trenton.  When he died unexpectedly last year, I could just imagine what he took with him in his journey back to God.  For sure, he did not take anything with him on his last trip, except his priesthood and his zealous dedication as part of the mission of the Church, as part of the mission of Christ.

Father Alindogan is diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies and pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson.