Bishop-elect Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo expressed his commitment to making the Catholic Church “an integral part of society” in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
Emphasizing the Church’s role in fostering societal love, he said, “Becoming a bishop means having the responsibility to lead our people to love society, so that the presence of the Church can create its positive effects on the territory.”
Pope Francis appointed Fr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo, affectionately known as Fr. Didik, as bishop of the Diocese of Surabaya on Oct. 29.
After over a year of sede vacante, the appointment brings a new leader to the East Java-based diocese.
A solemn Mass presided over by diocesan administrator Fr. Romo Yosef Eko Budi Susilo marked the occasion, with dozens of priests and numerous local Catholics in attendance.
Despite Fr. Didik’s longstanding pastoral experience in Surabaya, his ministry has taken him to remote areas.
He spent over four years as a missionary in the challenging parishes of Marau and Tembelina in Ketapang Diocese, West Borneo, where even reaching communities required arduous travel.
He will replace Bishop Vincentius Sutikno Wisaksono, who passed away on August 10, 2023, after a prolonged illness.
Addressing the faithful at the celebratory Mass, Fr. Didik asked for their support and prayers, saying he hoped he could “manage our community well, which has 160,000 people and 46 parishes” across the diocese.
Covering areas across East Java and parts of Central Java, the Diocese of Surabaya encompasses diverse communities.
Fr. Didik affirmed his intention to continue established pastoral programs and broaden the diocese’s outreach.
He noted that he would encourage the diocese to “adopt methods to develop the economic potential of people also through start-up programs and credit cooperatives.”
Born on March 12, 1968, in Ngawi, East Java, Fr. Didik entered the seminary at St. Vincentius in Paulo, Blitar, before continuing his studies at the inter-diocesan major seminary of St. John XXIII in Malang.
He obtained both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in theology from the Widya Sasana Institute in Malang.
Since his ordination on August 27, 1996, Fr. Didik has served in various roles, including parish priest, lecturer at Universitas Airlangga, director of a socio-health foundation, and Vicar General of Surabaya Diocese.
Surabaya, the capital of East Java and Indonesia’s third-largest city, has had a long Catholic history since its establishment as an apostolic prefecture in 1928, and later as a diocese in 1961. Episcopal ordination for Bishop-elect Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo is set for early next year.
