About 200 Catholics from parishes across Java, Indonesia, walked 18 kilometers from St. Ignatius Church in Magelang to the Kerkhof Prayer Garden in Muntilan, Central Java, on November 1, commemorating Catholic martyrs and renewing their commitment to witness to Christ through love and sacrifice.
The pilgrimage, titled Peregrinatio Ignatii #1 2026, was organized for the first time by the committee of St. Ignatius Church, Magelang City Parish, at the initiative of parish priest Fr. FX Alip Suwito.
Held under the theme “Per Martyrium, Ad Amorem” (Through Martyrdom, Toward Love), the event marked the 81st anniversary of the martyrdom of Catholics at St. Ignatius Church on November 1, 1945.
Beginning at 4:30 a.m., the pilgrimage retraced places associated with the history of Catholicism in Magelang and Muntilan, towns in Central Java with a significant Catholic missionary heritage.
The journey concluded at the Kerkhof Catholic cemetery in Muntilan, where diocesan priest and martyr Fr. Sanjaya and Cardinal Justinus Darmojuwono, Indonesia's first cardinal and former archbishop of Semarang, are buried.
Participants were invited to reflect on the courage and fidelity of those who died for their faith and consider how their example could inspire Christian life today.
Discovering the Church's heritage
For Royani Lim, a parishioner of St. Bernadette Church in Pinang Parish, Tangerang, the Magelang walk was her third pilgrimage on foot across three Indonesian provinces.
Her first was a 21-kilometer pilgrimage from Rangkasbitung Railway Station to the Kanada Marian Grotto in Banten Province on July 26. On August 30, she joined a second pilgrimage, From Church to Church: Franciscan Churches in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, organized as part of the Jubilee of St. Francis of Assisi. That journey began at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Tebet and ended at Jakarta Cathedral.
Royani said the Magelang pilgrimage offered an opportunity to discover local communities and residential neighborhoods while experiencing everyday life in Central Java.
One highlight was passing Mertoyudan Minor Seminary, widely recognized as Indonesia's oldest minor seminary. She recalled how participants became particularly cheerful as they approached the institution, which has played an important role in forming Catholic priests in the country.
The pilgrims also visited the former Xaverius College complex, associated with Dutch Jesuit missionary Fr. Frans van Lith, one of the pioneers of Catholic missionary work in Central Java.
Friendship strengthens the journey
Widyo Susetyo and his wife, Erni, parishioners of St. Mary of Fatima Church in Magelang, joined the pilgrimage after a friend visiting from Tangerang encouraged them to participate.
“We originally had no intention of participating. But when a friend came all the way from Tangerang in Banten Province, we decided to join and accompany our friend, who originally comes from Pontianak in West Kalimantan, so there would be familiar company along the way,” Widyo told RVA.
A former seminarian who remains active in parish life, Widyo said the experience helped him appreciate the history of Jesuit missionaries and priests martyred in the Magelang-Muntilan area.
The couple described the walk as an opportunity to meet Catholics from different regions, strengthen their faith and encourage one another despite the physical demands of the journey.
They thanked the organizers for initiating the pilgrimage and expressed hope that it would become a regular event. They also appreciated Magelang Mayor Damar Prasetyono for his attention to the initiative.
The couple said the event helped promote Magelang, known as the “City of Pancasila,” reflecting Indonesia's national philosophy of unity in diversity.
The pilgrimage highlighted how historical remembrance can inspire contemporary Christian witness. Participants were encouraged to understand martyrdom not only as the ultimate sacrifice made by believers in the past but also as a call to stand for truth, remain faithful to Christian values, serve others and practice compassion in everyday life.
Through Peregrinatio Ignatii #1 2026, the organizers brought together spirituality, historical discovery and fellowship, reminding participants that the journey of faith continues beyond the pilgrimage through daily acts of love and service.
The event's motto, “Steps of Faith, Keep Walking,” captured its central message: remembering the sacrifices of earlier generations while continuing to live their faith in the present.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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