Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta urged the Ursuline sisters to remain rooted in faith and hopeful for a more fruitful mission as the congregation marked nearly five centuries of service during a jubilee celebration held late November in Bandung.
The Archbishop of Jakarta delivered the message during a Eucharistic celebration marking the 490th anniversary of the Company of St. Ursula and the 125th anniversary of the Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula, milestones that highlighted the congregation’s long presence in education, pastoral work, and social service in Indonesia.
In his homily, the cardinal reflected on the Ursulines’ long history as a sign of Christ’s enduring presence in the Church, expressing gratitude for the sisters’ decades of service in both urban centers and remote communities.
“We are grateful for God’s grace and guidance throughout the history of the Order of Saint Ursula and the Ursuline Union,” Suharyo said.
He recalled the sacrifices made by the first Ursuline missionaries in Indonesia, including the death of one of the Dutch sisters who arrived in Jakarta in 1856 and later succumbed to a tropical illness.
“It was a sad story and a great loss for the first Ursuline mission in the then Netherlands-Indië, the official name of Indonesia during the Dutch colonial era,” he said.
Suharyo stressed that the congregation’s perseverance could not be attributed to human resolve alone, but to a faith that continues to sustain its mission.
“To navigate a history this long, willpower alone is not enough. What is needed is the inspiration of faith,” he said, citing the Ursuline motto Soli Deo Gloria, or “all glory to God alone.”
At the conclusion of the celebration, the faithful were invited to pray that the Ursuline Sisters would continue to be strengthened in their mission.
Organizers said the anniversary theme called the congregation to remain “more deeply rooted in Christ and more fruitful for the world,” while preserving unity in ministry.
Expanding mission beyond cities
The Ursuline Order is widely recognized in Indonesia for its contributions to education, particularly in major urban areas.
In Central Jakarta, the sisters administer St. Ursula School, St. Theresia School, and St. Maria School, offering education from kindergarten through senior high school.
Other Ursuline schools operate in cities such as Surabaya, Malang, Madiun, Solo, and Bandung, many of them known for their academic standards and holistic formation.
However, Sr. Monika Lita Hasanah, OSU, chief of the Ursuline Indonesian Province, said the congregation has intentionally expanded its mission beyond urban centers.
The Ursulines are now extending educational and pastoral services to rural areas across Indonesia and beyond the country’s borders, she said.
Presence in 18 dioceses
The congregation will mark 170 years of presence in Indonesia in 2026, commemorating the arrival of the first Ursuline sisters in 1856.
“We stand where we are now because of the dedication of our predecessors,” Hasanah said, expressing gratitude to generations of sisters, both deceased and living.
Ursuline Sisters currently serve in 18 dioceses across Indonesia. Plans are underway to open a new educational ministry in the Diocese of Padang, West Sumatra, in 2026.
Recent expansions include the opening of Saint Angela Elementary School on Nias Island in the Diocese of Sibolga, North Sumatra, and the establishment of Saint Ursula School in Penajam, near Indonesia’s new capital city, under the Archdiocese of Samarinda in East Kalimantan.
In Penajam, the Ursulines are also partnering with the Catholic University of Parahyangan to manage a student residence responding to the region’s growing educational needs.
“Beyond Indonesia, our Ursuline Indonesian Province has also sent missionary sisters to the Dioceses of Dili and Baucau in Timor-Leste, and to the Prefecture of Battambang in Cambodia,” Hasanah said, noting her own previous missionary experience in Africa.
Vocations remain steady
While many Ursuline communities in Europe and the United States face declining vocations, the Indonesian Province continues to receive new candidates.
“We give thanks that vocations in our province remain sufficient,” Hasanah said. “But we continue to ask for prayers from bishops, priests, and families so that we may remain present and ready to serve whenever the Church calls.”
The Order of St. Ursula of the Roman Union is now present in 36 countries across five continents.
Hasanah also recalled Pope Leo XIII, who unified the Ursulines of the Roman Union in 1900, a development commemorated annually on Nov. 28.
“We praise God for 125 years of unity across nations, peoples, and languages. May this spirit of sisterhood and solidarity continue to flourish,” she said.
As part of the jubilee year, the Ursulines of the Indonesian Province began 2025 with a retreat led by Archbishop Budi Kleden of Ende.
Throughout the year, communities have also organized social outreach programs and open house events aimed at introducing young women to religious life.
