Volunteers Complete Final Preparations as FABC Delegates Arrive in Jakarta

Cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and lay delegates from across Asia began arriving in Jakarta on July 20 for the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), as hundreds of volunteers coordinated airport reception, transportation, registration, and accommodation for the week-long gathering.

From early morning, volunteer teams were stationed at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to receive delegates arriving from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other parts of the continent. Equipped with arrival schedules, identification badges, and communication devices, they monitored flight updates, greeted participants, and coordinated transport to the assembly venue and official accommodation at the Mulia Hotel Jakarta.

While airport teams managed arrivals, volunteers at the hotel prepared the registration center, where delegates received accreditation badges, conference materials, and information about the assembly program. Other teams assisted participants with check-in, luggage, and orientation after their international journeys.

Preparations extended beyond reception and accommodation. Media personnel tested live-streaming facilities, the liturgy committee finalized arrangements for Eucharistic celebrations, and communications, medical, hospitality, and technical teams completed final operational checks before the assembly's opening.

According to Father Frans Kristi Adi Prasetya, secretary of the Local Organizing Committee, the arrival of delegates represented more than the beginning of the event's logistics.

"Before delegates enter the meeting hall to reflect together on the challenges facing the Church in Asia, we want them first to experience that they are received as brothers and sisters," he said.

He added that the welcome reflected the synodal spirit that underpins the assembly.

"Every aspect of the welcome was designed not merely to provide comfort, but to express the spirit of a synodal Church, a Church that walks together."

Organizing the arrivals required months of preparation and coordination among Church volunteers, airport authorities, immigration officials, transportation providers, hotel staff, and government agencies. Flight schedule changes, additional registrations, and transport arrangements were managed continuously throughout the day.

Fr. Frans said the collaborative effort itself reflected the assembly's theme of synodality.

"The success of the FABC Plenary Assembly rests not on the efforts of a single group but on the collaboration of the entire People of God. Lay faithful, religious women and men, priests, bishops, volunteers, and government partners each contributed according to their respective roles, united in a shared commitment to serve the Church in Asia," he said.

Among those serving was Hilary Aristotel, one of the liaison officers assigned to accompany delegates throughout the assembly.

"It is a privilege to have been selected as a Liaison Officer and to be part of an event of this importance," she said.

Hilary said the role required constant coordination to respond to the needs of nearly 150 participants, while working closely with teams responsible for security, transportation, accommodation, communications, healthcare, and hospitality.

She said the experience demonstrated how different committees worked together toward a common objective, with each role contributing to the successful hosting of the assembly.

By evening, most delegates had arrived at the Mulia Hotel and settled into their accommodations. Organizing teams continued reviewing the following day's arrival schedules and making final preparations for the opening sessions.

The 12th FABC Plenary Assembly, hosted by the Catholic Church in Indonesia, brings together Church leaders from across Asia for a week of prayer, dialogue, and discernment under the theme of synodal conversion and the Church's mission of bridge-building across the continent.