Indonesian diocesan priests recharge their spirit with UNINDO
By Mathias Hariyadi, LiCAS News
The program, aimed at fostering stronger fraternal bonds among priests, focused on the theme: Fostering Brotherly-Priestly Relationships among Diocesan Priests: Be a Better Priest by Knowing Self and Others.
The event, at the end of July and part of an annual series, provides a spiritual “recharging” session for priests who have been ordained for one to ten years.
UNINDO President Father Maxi Un Bria Pr, a diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara, highlighted the significance of the program in promoting unity among priests.
“This is a national moment when dozens of Indonesian diocesan priests come together for spiritual renewal, fostering a joyful atmosphere in our synodal Church,” he said.
The program was facilitated by Fr. Paulus Erwin Sasmito, a psychology lecturer from Sanata Dharma University, along with two lay coaching mentors, Markus Mardius and Bebet Darmawan.
The gathering was praised by attendees for its positive impact. Father Silvester Domogo from the Diocese of Timika in Papua and Father Yusri Basri from the Diocese of Ketapang in West Kalimantan echoed the sentiment, noting the value of such sessions for priests in the early years of their ministry.
The organizing committee, led by Fr. Jeff Woi Bule and Fr. Eman Ano, reported that the 56 participating priests came from 30 dioceses across the country. However, seven dioceses were unable to send representatives, primarily due to logistical challenges in remote areas.
Father Maxi Un Bria also announced that a similar formation program would be held locally in the Archdiocese of Kupang in October 2024.
UNINDO: A Brief History
Founded in 1955 in the Archdiocese of Semarang, UNINDO has grown into a significant national organization for diocesan priests in Indonesia.
The association’s first national conference was held in 1977 in in Salam House in Central Java, where a draft document outlining the group’s status was agreed upon by participants. A subsequent conference in Jakarta in 1983 saw representation from almost every diocese in the country.
Two key figures in UNINDO’s development were Emeritus Ketapang Bishop Blasius Pujaraharja, and his classmate, Father Valentinus Kartasiswojo. Both were instrumental in promoting the association’s presence to the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), despite initial resistance due to the relatively small number of diocesan priests involved at the time.
Bishop Pujaraharja’s efforts, combined with Fr. Kartasiswojo’s influence as KWI’s Executive Secretary General and UNINDO’s President, helped solidify the association’s role in the Indonesian Church.
New Book on UNINDO’s History
In the coming months, KWI’s Obor Publisher will release a new book titled UNIO INDONESIA, Rumah Bersama Imam Diosesan (UNIO Indonesia, the Common House for All Diocesan Priests), which chronicles the history of UNINDO.
The book, edited by Father Stanislaus Ferry Wijaya from the Diocese of Bandung, includes contributions from various diocesan priests as well as those from LiCAS News.
This article was originally published on https://www.licas.news/. All rights reserved. Unauthorized republication by third parties is not permitted.
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