Pope Francis has approved Archbishop Peter Turang’s resignation from his duties as the head of the metropolitan archdiocese of Kupang, Indonesia on March 9.
The pontiff has named Fr. Hironimus Pakaenoni, known for his roles as a formator at the Saint Michael Interdiocesan Seminary of Kupang and a lecturer at Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira, as the successor to Archbishop Turang upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.
Bishop-elect Fr. Hieronimus Pakaenoni was born on Timor Island in Noemuti on 14 April 1969. After completing his primary and secondary education in his hometown, he went on to study at St. Mary the Immaculate’s Lalian Minor Seminary from 1985 to 1989.
He then spent a year in a spiritual preparatory school in Lela-Sika on Flores Island, taking the first step towards candidacy for the diocesan priesthood in the Kupang Archdiocese of East Nusa Tenggara Province.
From 1990 to 1994, he pursued philosophical studies at STFK Ledalero in the Maumere Diocese, NTT Province. This was followed by a year-long pastoral internship at St. John the Baptist Buraen Parish Church in 1994-1995. He continued his theological studies at STFK Ledalero from 1995 to 1997.
On 22 April 1997, he was ordained as a deacon in the chapel of Ritapiret Major Seminary by Maumere Bishop Msgr. Abdon Longginus da Cunha. He later completed his pastoral internship at Christ the King Cathedral Parish Church in Kupang. His priestly ordination was conferred by Archbishop Petrus Turang on 8 September 1997.
Following his ordination, Fr. Pakaenoni served at St. Mary Immaculate Parish Church in Kota Baru, Kupang, for two years (1997-1999), and then as the parish priest of St. Peter Sulamu’s parish church (1999-2001).
He studied theology in Rome from 2001 to 2003. Upon returning to the Kupang Archdiocese, he was appointed parish priest at Oeleta Church for a year.
Fr. Pakaenoni was appointed as an educator and formator for seminarians at St. Michael’s Penfui Major Seminary, as well as a philosophy lecturer at the Catholic University of Widya Mandira in Kupang.
Since 2023, he has also served as the chief of the Kupang Archdiocese’s laity commission and president of the archdiocese’s Yaswari Foundation, continuing in these roles to the present day.
