Fr Adolfo Nicolás, the Superior General, needed five adjectives to describe the Indonesian Jesuits as he was asked to conclude the dialogue during the dinner with the Jesuits and some invited guests on July 18. Those adjective are friendly, generous, adaptable, hospitable and dedicated.
Fr General was in Indonesia for several occasions. Among them is the jubilee of 150 year of Jesuits’ presence in Indonesia. On July 9, 1859, two Dutch Jesuits, Fr Martinus van den Elsen and Fr Johanes Baptista Palinckx, arrived in Batavia. Their arrival marked a long history of Jesuits’ presence in Indonesia.
"During those years, Our Lord blessed and accompanied Jesuits’ works in Indonesia. It’s not the end, it’s a time to continue what has been started,” Fr. General said in his homily on July 20 at the climax of the Jubilee celebration. Fr General also accepted final vows of fourteen Jesuits at the Thanksgiving mass of the Jubilee.
Part of his visit was also to talk to scholastics in Panti Semedi Retreat House of Klaten, Central Java on July 18. He also meet with the major superiors of East Asia and Oceania and the brothers of the same region who had their meeting in Indonesia.
Just before the Thanksgiving Eucharist of the Jubilee, Fr General also had a short meeting with the novices. And after the Eucharist he had another meeting with the Jesuits working in parishes.
On July 21, Fr General left Indonesia through Jakarta with a reminder to all the Indonesian Jesuits of their five adjective and to be burnt away with fire in order to go and to set the fire to the world. (Contributor: Fr Azismardopo Subroto)