The Society of Jesus welcomed six new priests from the Indonesia Province with the ordination of Fathers Antonius Dhimas Hardjuna SJ, Ferdinandus Tuhu Jati Setya Adi SJ, Gerardus Hadian Panamokta SJ, Stephanus Advent Novianto SJ, Thomas Septi Widhiyudana SJ and Thomas Surya Awangga Budiono SJ.
They were ordained by the Archbishop of Semarang, Msgr Robertus Rubiyatmoko, on July 13 in the Church of St Anthony of Padua in Yogyakarta. Emeritus Archbishop of Jakarta Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja SJ and Fr Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, concelebrated the Ordination Mass as did Indonesia Provincial Fr Sunu Hardiyanta SJ and St Ignatius College Rector Fr Andreas Sugijopranoto SJ.
During his homily, Bishop Rubiyatmoko highlighted the many firsts in the occasion. It was his first presbyteral ordination since his appointment as Bishop. It was the first time for Fr General Sosa to concelebrate an ordination Mass in Indonesia, and the first ordination Mass in the local church to have a children’s choir. All six ordinands were also from different dioceses.
Speaking at the end of the Mass, Fr General, who was in Indonesia for his first official trip to the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, told the new priests, “Do not be afraid to sail into the deep and be fishers of people”. The ordinands had chosen as their ordination theme, “Because of His Grace and Love, I Cast the Net”, inspired by the vocation of St Peter.
All six men had studied in minor seminaries prior to entering the Society, with most of them attending the Jesuit-run St Peter Canisius Minor Seminary. All but one, Fr Novianto, studied Theology at Sanata Dharma University, the Jesuit university in Yogyakarta. He did his Theology in the Loyola School of Theology in Manila.
Fr Budiono and Fr Widhiyudana have been assigned as associate pastors in different parishes in the Archdiocese of Semarang. Fr Budiono to St Joseph Parish in Ambarawa and Fr Widhiyudana to St Isidore Parish in Sukorejo.
Three of them – Fr Hardjuna, Fr Setya and Fr Novianto – have been assigned as associate pastors in the Archidocese of Jakarta. Fr Hardjuna will go to St Anne Parish in Duren Sawit, Fr Setya to St Servas Parish in Kampung Sawah and Fr Novianto to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary Parish in Tangerang. Fr Panamokta has been assigned to St Aloysius Gonzaga High School in Jakarta.
The new priests led their first mass with the community members of St Ignatius College the day after their ordination.
Find out more about each new priest here.
Watch highlights of the Ordination Mass: