Indonesia’s Holy Family Missionaries Mark Centenary, Renew Call to Serve the Vulnerable

The Missionaries of the Holy Family (MSF) marked 100 years of missionary work in Indonesia with a thanksgiving Mass in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, on October 18, World Mission Sunday, renewing their commitment to proclaim the Gospel through service and care for the vulnerable.

The celebration brought together bishops, priests, religious men and women, thousands of Catholic faithful, local government officials, and members of the MSF family to commemorate the arrival of the congregation’s first missionaries in Kalimantan in 1926.

Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, has since become an important area of the congregation’s missionary work.

Archbishop Yustinus Harjosusanto, MSF, of Samarinda presided over the Mass, concelebrated by Bishop Sutrisnaatmaka, MSF, of Palangkaraya and Bishop Yan Olla, MSF, of Tanjung Selor.

Also present were MSF Superior General Fr. Agustinus Purnama Sastrawijaya, based in Rome; Java Provincial Superior Fr. Yohanes Risdiyanto; and Kalimantan Provincial Superior Fr. YB Maharsono.

In his homily, Archbishop Harjosusanto said the centenary was an opportunity to give thanks for the missionaries’ legacy and renew the Church’s commitment to sharing the Gospel.

“The closer people grow to Christ, the more they recognize that faith is not merely a personal experience but a calling to bring the message of salvation to others,” he said, reflecting on St. Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

The archbishop recalled the first missionaries who left their homeland in 1926 to serve in an unfamiliar region, undertaking long sea journeys and facing uncertain conditions.

Their courage, he said, was rooted in their response to God’s call and their conviction that the salvation they had experienced in Christ had to be shared with others.

A century later, the growth of Catholic communities and the continuing service of priests and religious in Kalimantan testify to the fruits of that mission, he said. He urged the congregation to carry this legacy forward rather than simply celebrate its history.

Archbishop Harjosusanto also challenged the faithful to consider how the Church should respond to rapid technological development and a growing reliance on human achievement.

Referring to ideas explored in Yuval Noah Harari’s book Homo Deus, he warned that confidence in human power and technological progress can lead people to overlook their dependence on God and disregard the dignity of others.

Christian mission, he said, must go beyond words and make God’s love visible through concrete action, particularly in service to the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable.

During the Prayer of the Faithful, the congregation prayed for the continued faithfulness of MSF missionaries, new vocations, and the Church’s mission in Indonesia. Prayers were also offered for peace, justice, harmony, and prosperity in Kalimantan.

At the end of the celebration, organizing committee chair Fr. Petrus Prilion, MSF, thanked Church leaders, local authorities, security personnel, and volunteers for their contributions.

He emphasized that the successful celebration had been made possible through collective effort and cooperation among the congregation, local Churches, and the wider community.

The centenary celebration looked back on a century of missionary service while challenging the MSF family and local Catholic communities to carry the Gospel into the next century through faith, fraternity, and practical concern for those most in need.