Sixteen bishops joined a fundraising Eucharistic celebration at St. Christopher Church in Grogol Parish, West Jakarta, on November 8, marking the 25th anniversary of a Catholic lay movement that supports the education and formation of seminarians across Indonesia.
The celebration raised funds for Gerakan Orangtua Asuh untuk Seminari (GOTAUS), or the Foster Parents Movement for Seminaries, which mobilizes Catholic individuals and communities to help meet the educational and living expenses of young men preparing for the priesthood.
The gathering brought together the bishops, three parish priests, six priests from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), parishioners, and donors, highlighting the wider Catholic community's role in sustaining priestly vocations.
Stefanus Hendra Gunawan Hasan, chairman of the GOTAUS fundraising committee at Grogol Parish, said the parish had been entrusted with hosting the 2026 fundraising event following a meeting of its Parish Pastoral Council's executive committee.
The organizing committee had about six weeks to prepare the event, coordinating with the national GOTAUS team and mobilizing parish volunteers. Although organizers initially expected 20 bishops, 16 attended.
Hendra, who also chairs the Parish Executive Council, described their presence as an honor and a source of joy for the parish community.
Fundraising took place during the Eucharistic celebration through special collection envelopes and continued during a luncheon with the visiting bishops, according to organizing committee member Agustian Ivan.
The parish's Social Communications Ministry documented the celebration and helped publicize the initiative, with volunteers supporting the event's coverage.
The fundraising drive comes as GOTAUS marks a quarter-century of organized support for seminaries, building on a grassroots initiative that began among Catholic employees of Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank, in the mid-1980s.
The group, known as Kelompok Semangat (Spirit Group), initially set aside portions of their salaries to support St. Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Mertoyudan, Magelang, Central Java. The contributions were intended to help meet the needs of seminarians studying at the institution.
The initiative gained momentum in 1996 after the seminary rector appealed to Catholic individuals in Jakarta for assistance, citing the deteriorating condition of its buildings, particularly a roof reportedly at risk of collapse. A visit by representatives from Jakarta brought greater awareness of the financial requirements of seminary formation, extending beyond infrastructure to students' daily living and educational needs.
GOTAUS was formally established on May 10, 2001, through the initiative of Bishop Blasius Pujaraharja, then Bishop of Ketapang and chairman of the Seminary Commission of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI).
The movement developed into a lay-led initiative and an official partner of the bishops' conference through its Seminary Commission. It primarily supports seminarians in minor seminaries, which provide secondary-level education and formation before candidates proceed to major seminaries.
Diana Lawanto, a parishioner of St. Andrew Church in Kedoya, West Jakarta, who has been involved with GOTAUS since its establishment, said the partnership has helped sustain priestly formation in seminaries across Indonesia.
For GOTAUS, the 25th anniversary is an opportunity to renew a commitment rooted in the belief that preparing future priests is a shared responsibility of the entire Catholic community, not only bishops and seminary institutions.
What began with a small group of employees contributing part of their salaries has grown into a wider network of donors and volunteers, providing material support and encouragement to generations of seminarians.
The November 8 celebration in West Jakarta reaffirmed that commitment, bringing together Church leaders and lay Catholics to support the next generation of priests in Indonesia.
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