Indonesia: Semarang Archbishop Ordains 15 New Deacons, Including a Former Diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko of Semarang in Central Java conferred the Order of the Diaconate on 15 major seminarians, on January 26, marking a year of bountiful harvest for the diocese and the religious orders concerned. Among the newly ordained was a senior candidate, who previously served as a diplomat and worked at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after completing his doctoral studies in Australia

The ordination ceremony was held at St. Paul’s Chapel of Kentungan Major Seminary, Yogyakarta, and was attended by family members and close relatives of the ordinands, priests, religious men and women, as well as invited guests from their respective religious communities and dioceses of origin.

Fifteen Newly Ordained Deacons

The fifteen new deacons come from the Archdiocese of Semarang and several religious orders, namely the Society of Jesus (SJ), the Missionaries of the Holy Family (MSF), the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC), and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCD).

Shepherd’s Message

In his homily, Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko emphasized that the diaconate is a gift from God that calls for lifelong fidelity.

“Through this ordination to the diaconate, you are being formed to become messengers of God’s Word and servants of the altar for the whole community of the faithful. This gift must be held firmly and lived out faithfully until the end of your lives,” the Archbishop stressed.

Good Stories

Several of the newly ordained Jesuit deacons shared noteworthy vocation stories.

Deacon Amadea Prajna Putra Mahardika SJ, comes from St. Athanasius Parish, Karangpanas, Semarang, and is an only child.

Deacon Filipus Frederick Ray Popo SJ, from St. Christ the Savior Slipi Parish, Central Jakarta, had expressed his desire to become a priest since childhood—an aspiration that initially seemed unlikely to his parents and only became clear after he entered minor seminary.

Meanwhile, Deacon Klaus Heinrich Raditio SJ, from St. Andrew Parish, Kedoya, West Jakarta previously served as a diplomat and worked at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after completing his doctoral studies in Australia. He is the oldest among the newly ordained deacons in terms of age and life experience, often described as having a “late vocation,” having discovered a new path in life through a vocation promotion program.