The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mendi is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mount Hagen, in Mendi, Papua New Guinea. It was erected Prefecture Apostolic in 1958 and elevated Vicariate Apostolic in 1965. It was elevated, along with other Oceanic vicariates and prefectures, to a diocese on 15 November 1966. The bishop is Donald Lippert, O.F.M. Cap. History A Short History of the Mendi Mission The Catholic Church in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea celebrated its Golden Jubilee tin 2004. The first missionaries, Fr. Alexis Michellod MSC and his stalwart companion Br. Jean Delabarre MSC, arrived in Mendi on September 9, 1954 and celebrated the first Mass in the province the next day. Fr. Alexis, a gregarious and friendly man of many talents and deep faith, was so moved by the Gospel reading of the Mass of the day, that he never grew tired of repeating it: "At that time Jesus said to his disciples, 'Fear not little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). " This quotation proved to be prophetic for it continues to describe the joy, faith and great enthusiasm with which the people of the Southern Highlands have accepted the Good News of Jesus Christ into their lives. Fr. Alexis will be forever known as the" Apostle to the Southern Highlands". Today, at ninety years of age, he lives in France with his MSC community, resting from his many years of mission work in PNG. In the Beginning For centuries the Southern Highlands, or Central Highlands as the area was once called, remained totally isolated, unknown by the outside world. It is believed that the original people in these rugged mountains were pushed to the region by hostile coastal tribes some 10,000 years ago. Accustomed to fighting in the maze of deep valleys and rushing rivers for centuries, the tribes of the Southern Highlands became territorially confined. Cut off from the outside world, and to a great extent from each other as well, the various tribes developed distinct languages and as with the people of the other highlands provinces accurate human history extended back only as far as living memory could recall, at which point it disappeared into the fog of rich mythology. Australian Mick Leahy, a gold prospector and one of the first expatriates to enter the highlands, described the region appropriately, "The