Bishop Ligo plans to visit New Caledonia

MELANESIAN MESSENGER 070406-5 April 6, 2007

[Melanesian Messenger - Melanesia] Plans are being made for Bishop James Marvin Ligo and a small delegation from the Diocese of Vanuatu to visit New Caledonia.

Bishop Ligo who is planning this trip for May 2007 is making this a priority to visit members in that French Territoty and renew ties as well as review the situation and to explore how the Church could best serve the anglican members in that country.

Bishop Ligo said it is certainly not an easy thing with New Caledonia a French speaking country and quite an expensive place in Noumea at least.

The Church throughout the Diocese of Vanuatu has only been able to make occasional visits to that country in the past.

Some of the early evangelism work of the founders of the Melanesian Mission, Bishop George Augustus Selwyn and Bishop John Coleridge Patteson related to New Caledonia and some of the early missionaries of the Church were from New Caledonia.

The beneficiaries of the Trust that Bishop Selwyn and Bishop Patteson have established are defined as including the Church of the Province of Melanesia in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.