50 Years of Polish Missionaries in Indonesia

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, Roe, a small and remote village in West Flores, was privileged to host an international celebration commemorating 50 years of quality presence of 20 Polish SVD Missionaries’ in Indonesia. The celebration was divided into two sections: A Mass of Thanksgiving and agape (getting together) with all the attendants. Those in attendance were: Fr. Andrzej Danilewicz, SVD (Polish Mission Secretary), Fr. Arlindo Pereira Dias, SVD and Bro. Guy Mazola Mido, SVD (General visitors for IDE), Fr. Tadeusz Gruca, Fr. Czeslaw Osiecki, Fr. Stanislaw Pikor and Fr. Stefan Wrosz (representatives of the 20 missionaries); Fr. Syrilus Lena (the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Ende); Poland Vice Ambassador and his wife; representatives of NTT Governor and Nagekeo Regency. There were also a good number of SVD priests, SVD brothers, religious sisters, and many lay faithful of Roe station.

The 50 years of presence of these 20 Polish SVD Missionaries was celebrated in a special way because of the unique political situation they faced in the past. At that time, Poland was under the domination of Russia and was well known as a Communist country. The Communist government didn’t allow missionaries to go abroad. At the beginning of September in 1964, Fr. Yosef Diaz Viera, an Indonesian SVD priest arrived in Poland wanting to get some Polish SVD Missionaries for Indonesia.

It was the right time because Indonesia’s Ambassador for Poland and his secretary were both Catholics. Fr. Diaz also went to Pieniezno to meet Fr. Koziel, the Provincial, in order to request for 20 missionaries as volunteers for Indonesia. At the time, there was an annual retreat in progress; so many young confreres were present for the retreat. Within a few minutes after his request was made, a list of 20 missionaries was completed. With this list, Diaz, then went back to Warsawa asking the Indonesian Ambassador to arrange a meeting with the Head of Department of Employees of Poland. The staff of the department was surprised when Fr. Diaz asked permission for 20 polish priests to be sent to Indonesia as volunteers. He stated, “We can give you engineers, doctors but where would the government take these priests from?” Fr. Diaz answered, I already have the list of the volunteers, and therefore you do not have to look for them. We only require the permission from the high authority. By the help and great effort of Fr. Diaz, the permission was granted in April 1965. By June 1965 all official arrangements were completed and on August 27, 1965, the group of the 20 missionaries arrived in Jakarta.

Fr. Leo Kleden, the SVD Provincial of IDE in his homily at Golden Jubilee, reiterated that this particular celebration is important because by the sending of the first 20 SVD missionaries from Poland to Indonesia, the possibility was made for all other congregations in Poland to send their own members as missionaries abroad. It was then a kind of a new exodus in mission sending. Leo, then thanked the governments of Poland and Indonesia and the local Church in Indonesia for the good cooperation. The event has widened the horizons of the Polish people and enabled some degree of openness of mind and heart with the perception that the Catholic Church is for all people from all generations and nations. They are now at home with the fact that the Polish Catholic Church is part of the universal Catholic Church. This aspect was captured vividly in Fr. Danilewicz’s speech.

Fr. Stanis Pikor, on behalf of 20 pioneer Polish Missionaries, thanked the Government of Poland for allowing them to go abroad and he thanked the Government of Indonesia for allowing them to live and work as Missionaries in Indonesia. He then ended his speech by saying: “If you ask us whether we would like to go back to Poland? Our answer will certainly be ‘NO WAY’. This is because we love Indonesia as much as we love our homeland.

(Translator from Indonesian: Gabriel Wangak, svd)