Tens of thousands of Catholics gathered at the Jatidiri Sport Stadium in Central Java on Sunday to mark the 85th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Semarang, one of the most influential dioceses in Indonesia.
The celebration drew more than 20,000 faithful from 109 parishes, accompanied by a 1,000-member choir and hundreds of clergy and religious.
Among the guests were two Indonesian cardinals — Julius Darmaatmadja SJ and Ignatius Suharyo — both former bishops of Semarang, along with nine other bishops and several hundred priests, most of whom have roots in the archdiocese.
Cardinal Suharyo, who now leads the Archdiocese of Jakarta, delivered the homily and highlighted Semarang’s historic role in shaping both the Catholic Church in Indonesia and the nation itself.
“For all these good and inspiring initiatives generated by Semarang Archdiocese, I would personally expect to say ‘thank you’,” he told the crowd.
He pointed to the legacy of the archdiocese’s first bishop, Msgr. Albertus Soegijapranata, who was a close confidant of Indonesia’s founding president, Sukarno.
“This Indonesian prelate lodged his strong diplomatic channel to the Holy See which finally brought the Vatican officially recognised Indonesian Independence publicly declared by its founding fathers Soekarno-Hatta in 17 August 1945,” Suharyo said.
The Vatican was among the first states to recognize the new republic.
Cardinal Suharyo also credited Semarang Archdiocese for pioneering pastoral initiatives that have since spread to dioceses across the country’s 38 ecclesiastical territories.
These include the Pre-Easter Fasting Development Action (APP), launched in 1968 to support charitable and humanitarian work; the founding of the Catholic Women’s Association (WKRI) in Yogyakarta in 1924; and the practice of bringing children to the altar for a blessing — a custom that began in Wedi Parish and is now widespread across Indonesia.
In his address, Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko of Semarang paid tribute to the unsung role of catechists and lay people in spreading the faith, especially in the early 20th century.
“The story of Catholicism in Semarang Diocese was made by those dedicated catechists,” he said, singling out Barnabas Sarikrama, a convert baptized in 1904 who inspired many others to follow the faith.
The archdiocese is also known for its contribution to priestly formation, being home to two of Indonesia’s most respected seminaries: St. Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Mertoyudan and St. Paul’s Major Seminary in Kentungan.
Archbishop Rubiyatmoko called on Catholics to continue living their faith with a sense of mission and national identity.
“Embrace the spirit of being 100 percent Catholic and 100 percent Indonesian,” he said. “The Church must be a blessing not only for Catholics but also for all people, the nation, and the country.”
Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin of Bandung, president of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, echoed the archbishop’s sentiments and recalled his own formation at Mertoyudan. “I was myself brought up in St. Peter’s Minor Seminary of Mertoyudan,” he said.
Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng, a practicing Catholic, also took part in the event. “Semarang, in truth, is as warm as a church courtyard and as open as a sanctuary for pilgrims,” she said.
“For us, the city is not only a meeting point of cultures and beliefs, but also a place where our faith this evening finds room to grow,” she added.
