THE
HISTORY OF THE INDONESIAN PROVINCE (1924- 1977)
Although
the erection of a Vice-Province in Indonesia took place only on March 1st,
1962, and it became a Province on May lst,1974, the activity of the
Congregation in Sumatra began back in 1924 when South Sumatra was still a
missionary region of the Dutch
Province.
The
missionary territory of South Sumatra was entrusted to our Congregation by the
Papal Brief of December 27, 1923. The first missionaries were two Fathers and
one cooperating Brother who on September 23rd, 1924, arrived at Tanjungsakti,
then the only missionary centre. This centre was directed by Father H. J. D.
Van Oort who immediately started inspecting the territory to check the
possibility of organizing missionary activities. The territory to be
evangelized included the present provinces of Jambi, Bengkulu, Lampung and Sumatra Selatan (excluding the two islands of
Bangka and Belitung).
After
this tour of orientation by Fr. Van Oort Palembang was chosen as the main
missionary centre since it was the largest and most important town of the
territory and also the point of departure for two railroads, one southbound,
the other westbound.
In
this same place the Capuchin Fathers bought a house where since 1922 they have
celebrated a Mass every month. Nevertheless, Palembang was not yet a fixed
centre and was visited only during occasional tours. However at Easter in 1925
Palembang became established permanently and in July of the same year M. Neilen
settled there as its first parish priest. His house also served as a place of
worship. After some enlargement and renovation in 1932 the present church was
built and consecrated to the Sacred Heart. However, the main centre (and the
Apostolic Prefect's residence) remained Tanjungsakti, but only until 1934 when
the second Apostolic Prefect of Sumatra, Msgr. H. M. Mekkelholt, the former
dean of Palembang, was appointed.
The
first Apostolic Prefect was Msgr. H. L. Smeets, who had previously worked for
five years in Zaire, but he could not adapt himself to the new environment so different from that
he had just left. As soon as other unforeseen difficulties occured he returned
to Europe and thereafter Fr. Van Oort became Prefect ad interim until 1934.
After
that the following centres were opened: Bengkulu in 1926, Tanjungkarang in
1928, Pringsewu at the time of the Javanese emigration in 1932, Lahat in 1935,
Metro, the second foundation among the emigrated Javanese in 1937, and then
Pasuruan in 1939, also among the Javanese of Lampung.
During
the next years helpers were needed for this new missionary endeavor. At the
beginning in 1926 the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Roosendaal
arrived and took over the hospital of a charitable organization that was unable
to run it. The following year in 1927 the Sisters of the Sacred Heart from
Moerdijk arrived and they started to manage the school at Palembang and later
schools in other places. In 1929 the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo joined our
mission at Bengkulu. In 1932 the Franciscan Sisters of Thuine arrived at
Pringsewu followed in 1936 by the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of
the Sacred Heart as well as the Brothers of Utrecht.
In
1941, after the breakout of the war, there were 139 missionaries working in
South Sumatra: 25 SCJ priests, 8 SCJ collaborators, 7 lay Brothers and 99
Sisters.
In
1939 the Apostolic Prefecture of Bengkulu was made an Apostolic Vicariate and
at the same time the name changed to the Vicariate of Palembang, which was in
reality the residence of the Vicar.
It
is not necessary to describe here in detail the misery of the war and its
concentration camps. It is enough to note that at the end of the war only 96
religious remained: 16 SCJ priests, 6 collaborators, 6 lay brothers, and 68
Sisters.
After
the war the rebuilding was quite slow due to the struggle for independence,
concluding in December 1949 with the acknowledgement of Indonesian
independence. Nevertheless, some important events did take place during this
period. First of all, the erection of the Minor Seminary of Palembang in 1947,
followed by another seminary at Pringsewu in June of the same year. The latter
was erected through the initiative of a Javanese priest because the
communications between Palembang and Lampung were
still not re-established. Later the two experiments were unified.
Before
the war there were some candidates for the priesthood. One of them, Antonius
Genti Aras, came from Tanjungsakti; two others from Central Java. The first one
died in January 1938 at Moentilan, after having made his novitiate at Asten
(Holland). Of the other two, one, Slamet Saptaatmadja, died at Helmond in 1935;
the other named Wignjasoehardjo, was ordained priest in 1939 at Nymegen, where
he died in 1943 as a result of a poisoning at the Scolasticate.
Although
in the seminary the intention was not to form candidates only for our
Congregation and the students were left entirely free to join the Secular
Clergy or other Orders and Congregation, nevertheless, it was our desire that
most of them would join the SCJ Congregation and this for practical reasons. Of
considerable importance was the fact that the first generation of local priests
could feel encouraged by the realization that they were not alone but members
of a group in which they could find support in difficult moments.
Another
interesting development was the foundation of a second mission at Batuputih,
situated seven kilometers from Baturaja and in the midst of an aboriginal
population of Sumatra.
Fr.
H. Hermelink, who always took care of the children and who was looking for
something to do during the cessation of missionary activity brought on by the
war of independence, started to build a place of refuge for the abandoned
children wandering in the Palembang streets. This refuge became a true orphanage
called Rumah Yusup, the House of St. Joseph, and in 1948 it was transferred to
Baturaja. Here, Fr. Borst, who had taken over from Fr.
Hermelink, contacted Batuputih, having heard some rumour that people there took
great interest in Christianity. The Dutch residents of Baturaja put Fr. Borst in contact with the 'Kampong', village, of Batuputih
and as result half the population converted to Catholicism. A church and a
school were built and during the following years about 450 people were
baptized; this number later increased to 700. At present, however,the problem
of conversion from Islamism to Catholicism no longer exists; they both remain
as they are. At any rate, they are not hostile to each other. A rather serious
incident happened in 1958, during which Fr. Leon Kwanten was in danger of being
killed. He was saved by a 12-year-old urchin, who after seeing what was
happening, couragiously ran to ring the church bells. When they heard this
tolling all the Catholics gathered together and the killers ran away, leaving
Fr. Kwanten seriously wounded.
Another
attempt to found a mission among the aborigines around Palembang had to be
abandoned. Fr. Elling used to go there frequently but one day the house where
he taught was beset by a siege of stones. From that day one, people lost their
courage. The families that wished to remain Catholics were forced to go away;
the other families were reconverted to Islamism.
Besides
the social work for the welfare of the children at Palembang being carried on
by the House of St. Joseph, there was further interest in education. There was
already a Xaverian Foundation, begun
on May 5th, 1930. Under the same patronage there arose in 1959 an Upper Middle
School (SMA) its first director was Brother J.F.L. Nienhuis; his successor was
Fr. (now Msgr.) J. Soudant and after him, Fr. J. Goeman. At present Fr. J.
Weusten directs the school. Almost all the teachers and directors of the school
are laymen.
After
the war there was an enormous increase of teaching in Indonesia. From the beginning
the main language in all the schools, from the primary school to the university
was Indonesian (Malay in an Indonesian version). Schools were built everywhere,
although they were often very primitive. In this movement the Catholic Church
has always acknowledged the importance of teaching both for religious formation
and for education in general, and so the Church cannot but promote it. The
school is and remains a powerful means for man's integral education,
intellectual, moral and religious, as well as physical (sports). In all
Indonesian schools, whatever their orientation, both religious and character
formation are obligatory. It is precisely in this field that the Congregation
must make a contribution, be cause in its programme, thanks to the Founder, the
education of youth is present. The Xaverius Foundation coordinates the teaching
in the Dioceses of Palembang and Tanjungkarang, which have 43 elementary
schools, 20 lower middle schools, and 9 upper middle schools for a total of
about 45,000 pupils. There was even an attempt to build a branch of the
Catholic University of Atmadjaja at Palembang but after some years the idea had
to be abandoned.
During
these years it happened that the Congregation became more and more conscious of
the fact that its members were not only missionaries who served the Church, but
also that they had to safeguard their identity and independence as far as their
religious Congregation was concerned. At the beginning of the mission there was
no religious superior who looked after the specific interests of the
Congregation and its members. Perhaps this was because of the small number of
religious there. There was, it is true, the Apostolic Prefect, also a member of
the Congregation, but he was not appointed superior in the Congregation.
However, after the difficulties of the first years it was necessary to appoint
someone superior there, who would look after the interests of the Congregation
in a special way. And so it happened that towards the end of 1927 Fr. Van der Sangen left for Sumatra as the first religious superior at
the request of Fr. Govaart, who was then provincial superior.
In
1934 the Statutum Missionis was compiled regulating in general terms the relationship between the
ecclesiastical authorities and the religious in the missionary territory. These
articles of association were possible only if they were ratified by special
agreement on both sides. The first Convention was signed in 1951(1952). But for
a long time the missionary mentality dominated over that of the religious. The
existing relationship between missionary activity and the Congregation was not
deeply felt. That depended on, among other things, an historical reason. The
fact is that before the war the Congregation, and especially the Dutch
Province, was so short of money that it could not help the mission as it was
possible to do for example in Zaire where every missionary centre was
self-sufficient, depending entirely on its own resources. Although in the
beginning the same goal was sought in Sumatra, it never succeeded.
In
that period there were many complaints and as a result the members of the
Congregation felt themselves abandoned. There arose certain tensions, tensions
that should have disappeared once this situation was remedied.
After
the war, while the majority of the missionaries were transferred to Palembang
in order to begin the work of reconstruction there in whatever way they could
(first at Palembang and later at Lahat and Bengkulu), in Lampung
the situation was completely different. All the missionary personnel had
disappeared except for some German Sisters whom the Japanese considered their
allies and so not subject to internment, even though they mistrusted them. In
addition to these there were still some Indonesian Sisters.
Reconstruction
in Lampung
At
Msgr. Mekkelholt's request an Indonesian priest from Java was sent to Lampung to give at least a little help to the Catholics. He
was Fr. Wahyosudibyo, OFM and later Fr. (now Msgr.)
Padmoseputra, a secular priest. It was the latter who in 1947 began a seminary
in Lampung. Fr. W. Boeren was the first to return to
Tanjungkarang, followed by Fr. Hermelink (now Msgr.) and by Fr. Tromp; and
finally arrived Fr. G. Koevoets and Fr. A. Oonk, who resided some time in the
seminary of Padangbulan, which was one of the most primitive places, especially
for one who had just recently left Europe. In effect, Padangbulan is a small desa, village, 8 or 9 kilometers from Pringsewu. Fr. Boeren remained in Tanjung karang, Fr. A. Hermelink went to Pringsewu,
Fr. Koevoets to Telukbetung and Fr. Tromp to Metro; in this way the main places
were again occupied.
The
hospitals which belonged to the missions of Pringsewu and Metro were
requisitioned by the state and never returned though the Sisters were allowed
to continue their charitable apostolate there. The government has now bunt a
new hospital at Metro and that of the mission was returned, but the Sisters
closed it and opened instead a maternity clinic.
One
can say that since 1951 missionary activities have begun to function normally
and in a different manner, surely better than before the war. The Church today
is freer in its movements and, in spite of some local difficulties often rising
from a small number of government employees, the relationship between the Church
and the State has always been good.
Also
the losses of personnel caused by the war have been recovered. In 1951 there
were 28 priests and 6 collaborators. The number of Sisters and the Jay Broth ers has also reached its pre-war level.
Following
the Papal Brief of June 19th, 1952 the mission of South Sumatra was divided
into two territories, but both remained entrusted to the Congregation. Since
then Lampung became an autonomous territory having Msgr.
Hermelink (called Gentiaras) as its first Apostolic Prefect.
At
this date the number of Catholics totaled 6,500, 4,000 in the Vicariate of
Palembang and the rest in the Prefecture of Tanjungkarang.
After
the division the two independent territories developed very fast, especially
after the communist revolution of 1965. The number of Catholics increased
mainly during the Javanese immigrations. Consequently Tanjungkarang very soon
excelled Palembang in the number of Catholics. According to the latest
statistics Palembang today has 30,723 Catholics, while in Tanjungkarang there
are 52,355. In 1961 the ecclesiastical hierarchy was set up for the whole
national territory of Indonesia. It
was on that occasion that the Vicariate of Palembang and the Prefecture of
Tanjungkarang were raised to the rank of Dioceses and had as their first
bishops, respectively, Msgr. H. M. Mekkelholt and Msgr. A. Hermelink. Msgr. Mekkelholt retired in 1963 and was
succeeded by Msgr. J. H. Soudant, SCJ.
It was just at that time, that, influenced partly by the events of the moment and partly by the Second Vatican Council, there took place great changes in outlook concerning the idea of missionary activity. The schools continued to play an important role but alongside of them there arose a strong support for social works. Since the Second World War men have come to realize the great social injustice of a colonialism that has subjugated politically and economically almost all the territories outside of Europe and North America. The colonized nations regained their freedom and little by little expressed the conviction that the rich countries had the duty to cooperate in the development of the poor countries that had been exploited for such a long time. The work of social development, which grew up everywhere, could not be neglected here, considering the fact that social justice is part of the spirit of our Founder.
In Lampung social action started in 1958. In 1963 Fr. J. Vranken
was elected as a special social delegate. In 1971 a Commission for Social Development was set up in three sections. Two
centres for emigrants were established, one at Tanjungmas north of Pringsewu
and the other near Kotabumi. Besides, in the desas or villages were built many bridges, indispensible for the
transport of crops and other products. Towards the end of 1976 Fr. H.
Sondermeijer became the social delegate. A social institute was established
also at Palembang, while at Baturaja, Fr. Abdiputrarahardja added to his other
works an institute for the emigrants with the same spirit that had animated him
at Kotabumi where he began in 1965.
In
official organization came into operation only in 1968 with the appointment of
Fr. 1`1. van Steekelenburg, as social delegate. A social commission was formed
in 1973 under the direction of Fr. Abdiputrarahardja, who succeeded
Fr. Van Steekelenburg as social delegate the following year.
It
is worthwhile to note that on December 22nd, 1976, also the Congregation of FIC Brothers with two lay brothers began to work among the
emigrants.
It
is necessary also to say a few words about some important developments
regarding the internal life of the Congregation.
Novitiate
and Scholasticate
Let
us start with recalling the erection of the Minor Seminary of Palembang and
that of Lampung, two undertakings later unified in the Seminary
of St. Paul at Palembang, which produced the fruit of its first four novices in
1955. Then began the canonical novitiate at Lahat in a house built for that
purpose with Fr. J. van der Sangen as
director of novices. At the end of their novitiate year these four Indonesian
brothers,the first to receive their formation in our novitiate house, were
welcomed into the Congregation. One of them is now Msgr. Henrisoesanto, the
Auxiliary Bishop of Tanjungkarang, and another is the above-mentioned Fr.
Abdiputrarahardja. Two years later came our first collaborating Brother,
Stephan Purwasiswaya.
The
entrance of our first candidates for the priesthood made necessary, as a
consequence, the erection of a Major Seminary.
We
deceived ourselves in thinking that, in spite, of foreseen difficulties, we
could undertake this work ourselves. We looked for a professor of philosophy
among the available missionaries and found Fr. F. Hovers. Other professors
were: Fr. van Gisbergen for exegesis, Fr. W. de Witte for Church history, and
Fr. J. van der Sangen as professor of liturgy. In
spite of this poor beginning, we had even a bishop; but of course, this was
more his merit than ours!
After
a very uncertain year and several unrealized proposals, it was decided as soon
as the first scholästcc year was finished to transfer the students to
Yogyakarta so that our scholastics could continue their studies at the major
seminary for secular priests conducted. by the
Jesuit Fathers. We intended to buy a house for them but because of a lack of
funds at the end of the following year we resigned ourselves to sending tiiem
to Rome.
In
1960, since we had a good number of candidates for the priesthood, a new effort
was made to maintain their whole formation in our hands. And so a house was
built at Gisting in Lampung to serve both as a novitiate
and as a scholasticate. However, in 1964 we realized. that things were not
going well and the scholasticate was transferred definitely to Yogyakarta,
where a new building was constructed. Some years later, due to an increasing
number of students, the house became too small and so in another part of
Yogyakarta there was built a new house to be used for theological studies. The
previous house was reserved for philosophical studies and for the novitiate,
according to the following new criterion.
For
specific reasons there are still two scholastics who continue their studies
under the Canons of the Holy Cross.
The
Novitiate remained for some years in Gisting under the direction of Fr.
Coenderman and then of Fr. A. Carter. But under the impetus of new guidelines
expressed by the Council the novitiate too has adopted new ways of training. As
an experiment the Indonesian Province received permission to allow the SCJ
candidates to make their postulate and novitiate while pursuing their
philosophical studies. Fr. G. Zwaard was put in charge of their formation. The
purpose of this experiment is to offer to the novices a better opportunity for
getting to know religious life in its common, everyday aspects. Many thought that
the traditional novitiate kept them too aloof from everyday life and gave them
an image of religious life that was too distorted in relation to its real
character.
On
the other hand the novices complained that during their formative period
organized according to the new criterion, they were too occupied with studies
and that consequently they had very little time or opportunity for calm
recollection and reflection on their vital personal interests.
Those
who are promoted at the minor seminary and finish their studies at the end of
November go then to Gisting for two months under the guidance of the novitiate
master. After which they go to Yogyakarta to begin their higher studies while
at the same time continuing their postulate and novitiate following the new
method. On May 1st, 1976, the Diocese took over the running of the Minor
Seminary.
For
a long time the Congregation had the intention to make a permanent settlement
in Jakarta, the capital and seat of the Indonesian government as well as that
of ecclesiastical administration, the residence of the Apostolic Delegate and
the office of the Wali Geraja (i.e. where the bishops' conference gathers to
resolve common problems and to make contacts with government organizations).
In
December 1971 Fr. G. Elling took up residence at St. Anthony's Parish in the
capital city with a Jesuit father as his assistant. The parish was officially
entrusted to the Congregation on January 1st, 1973, after Fr. M. Fortner from
the United States Province had come to replace the Jesuit father in December
1972.
During
this period some missionaries came from other provinces outside Indonesia. The
first ones were three missionaries who came in 1952 from the English Province.
One of them is still there. In 1961 the first American and Polish collaborators
arrived; they were 12 in all. Their number increased thereafter. At present
there are eight Polish collaborators. Two brother scholastics from the U.S.
Province have completed their theological studies together with our Indonesian
brethren in Yogyakarta. One of them, after his ordination, is exercising his
ministry in Lubuklinggau. Another father came from the Luxemburg-Walloon
Province and still another from the German Province.
On
March 1st, 1962, our Region became a Vice-Province. The first vice-provincial
was Fr. G. Koevoets who had already been regional superior for three years.
Then on May 1st, 1974, the Vice-Province became a Province. One of the reasons
which led to this decision was the following: after the Indonesian independence
the situation was such that it was impossible to continue to depend totally on
the Dutch Province. It would have been an anachronism impossible to maintain
any longer, both to insure the sure progress of the situation and because our
Indonesian religious were able to assume responsibility for themselves. In
addition, the number of members working in Indonesia was at the moment of its
erection as a Vice-Province even greater than the number of members in the
other Vice-Provinces previously erected. And Indonesia had even better
prospects.
When
the Province was formed the houses which were near to each other were erected
as religious houses. After some experimentation and change, finally two
religious houses were set up in the missionary territory, one in the Diocese of
Tanjungkarang and the other in the Palembang Diocese. Here the religious house
was situated in the provincial house, which was also the rectory of Sacred
Heart Parish. It was Metro that became the religious house in the Diocese of
Tanjungkarang. The other rectories were assigned to one or other of these two
religious communities as branch houses (domus filiales) dependent on them.
Besides
these two religious houses, there are still two other communities erected as
religious houses; they are the minor seminary at Palembang and the
Scholasticate at Yogyakarta. This one has its own branch house, the house of
theological studies at Papringan (Yogyakarta).
On
June 26th, 1976, the house of Gisting was re-established as a novitiate for the
brother novices during their period of pastoral experience. Two months of
spiritual retreat are set aside for our brothers during the year of their
novitiate.
Conclusion
At
the time of its erection as a Province there were: 36 priests, 4 scholastics
(Indonesians), 10 collaborators. On January 1st, 1977 there were: 63 priests
(of whom 12 are Indonesians), 10 scholastics (all Indonesians), 11
collaborators (6 Indonesians), making a total of 84 religious (28 Indonesians).
Furthermore, there are 19 novices (all Indonesians) who are also scholastics.
F.
A. J. Hovers SCJ
(Translation
by Maingi Thomas)