10 May was a special day for the Indonesian Jesuit Province as two of their men, Martinus Dam Febrianto SJ and Philipus Bagus Widyawan (Wawan) SJ, were ordained as deacons in a small but intimate ceremony at the church of St Antonius Padua in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Msgr Robertus Rubiyatmoko, Archbishop of Semarang, presided over the ceremony alongside Fr Benedictus Hari Juliawan SJ, Indonesian Jesuit Provincial, and Fr Andreas Sugijopranata SJ, Rector of St Ignatius College in Yogyakarta.

“Kamu Harus Bersaksi” or “You Must Be A Witness” was the theme chosen by the two new deacons. It is taken from John 15:27 and expresses their gratitude for the courage they have received in becoming disciples of Christ despite their weaknesses and vulnerability. Because of this, they feel strongly called to bear witness among the faithful.

Msgr Rubiyatmoko in his homily advised the newly ordained to carry out their ministry with humility and joy, as well as to persevere in prayer as a sign of their attachment to Christ. He continued that deacons need to learn and depend on the grace of faith from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit so they can remain faithful in doing God’s will both in words and in deeds.

Deacons Dam and Wawan come from different backgrounds. Prior to entering the novitiate, Dam worked in the aquaculture industry in Lampung, South Sumatera, while Wawan entered after completing his education at St Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Central Java. Both of them went to Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta for philosophy studies before separating paths during their Regency: Wawan returned to his seminary as part of their formation team, while Dam worked with foreign refugees in Medan and Bogor.

They were reunited at the faculty of Theology at Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta where they will continue their theology studies before being ordained as priests later this year.