On July 31, the Adhi Luhur Jesuit High School at Nabire (Papua) in cultural way celebrated Saint Ignatius day with a blessing of the Le Cocq d’Armandville chapel in its campus.
Fr Provincial Priyono Marwan presided the Eucharist in the beautiful 300-seat chapel. Fr Le Cocq d’Armandville SJ died in Papua in 1896 (www.usd.ac.id/adhiluhur/Kolese.html).
Fr Martin Suhartono (IDO) has taken the Carthusian habit as novice. He got special permission to send the e-mail on his novice director’s computer, and even attached two photos, which should bring joy to all our hearts. He writes that he is very happy, and his smile in the pictures surely confirms it. His new name is now Dom Ambrose Mary He left Indonesia on December 7, feast of St. Ambrose, and entered Parkminster on December 8, solemnity of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Let us continue to pray for Dom Ambrose Mary!
Eleven second-year novices pronounced their first vows at St. Stanislaus Novitiate, Girisonta, Central Java, on June 24. Together with three former juniors from Arrupe International Residence, Manila, they will start their philosophy formation at Driyarkara School of Philosophy, Jakarta, beginning in the new academic year in September 2007.
The Indonesian Province happily sends 15 new regents this year to various apostolates. Five of them are missioned to Cambodia, Micronesia, Pakistan and Thailand. The others will spend their regency in university (Yogyakarta), student ministry (Jakarta), technical training center (Jakarta), high schools (Jakarta, Mertoyudan/Central Java and Nabire/West Papua), vocational school (Semarang), minor seminaries (Jakarta and Mertoyudan), and parishes (Tarutung/North Sumatra and Yogyakarta).
Last March 24, Studio Audio Visual Puskat Yogyakarta launched a new film entitled Bethlehem Van Java. The file runs for 63 minutes and is about the history of Catholicism in Java, Indonesia (1896-1926). The writer and director of the film is a young Jesuit and staff at Puskat, Fr Murti Hadi.
Monday 29 May 2006. Greetings from Yogya in agony. Most of the worst devastation occurred south of the city while our Jesuit residence is located on the north side. Our newly constructed house was able to handle the severe shaking and there was very little damage to our building, thank God. The nearby new campus has had some damage and we are awaiting advice on whether some of the buildings can be entered.
Wedi, Gantiwarno and Bayat have been "totally forgotten" by rescue teams and by the solidarity of fellow citizens and the news media.
A quite strong earthquake, registering as high as 5.9 in the Richter scale, rocked Yogyakarta and the surrounding small villages in the eastern part of Yogya early Saturday morning at 6 a.m.
The casualties number more than 5000 dead, and around 15.000 buildings are damaged. Our Jesuit school, de Britto College in Yogyakarta, and the Jesuit Parish, St. Antonius Kotabaru, are severely affected. The roofs of some buildings in the school compound have collapsed. The church is still standing, but its broken walls make it unsafe for further services.
We share with you this sad news from the Indonesian Province, that this morning, September 10, 2005, at 4.20 a.m in Semarang, Fr. G. Tjokro passed away.
He has been serving the Province as the Secretary of the Provincial for these past years, noted for his smiles and patience. We pray for his peaceful repose of his soul in the hand of Our Lord.
The funeral will be conducted on Sunday, September 11, 2005, at Girisonta, Ungaran, where many our beloved Jesuits have rested in peace.