The Conventual Franciscan Order marked 25 years of its mission in eastern Indonesia by ordaining three new priests in Sasi, a small town on Timor Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), highlighting its growing pastoral commitment beyond the country’s traditional Catholic centers.
The priestly ordination Mass, held late January at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Sasi Parish, took place within the Diocese of Atambua and was presided over by Bishop Dominikus Saku, who served as the ordaining bishop.
The three newly ordained Conventual Franciscan priests are Fr. Joseph Agung Bathara Sembiring, OFMConv; Fr. Nikolaus Rufinus Nahampun, OFMConv; and Fr. Mauritz Dicki Nubatonis, OFMConv.
Fr. Sembiring has been assigned to pastoral ministry at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Tanjung Morawa, within the Archdiocese of Medan in North Sumatra. Fr. Nahampun has been appointed as a formator at the St. Bonaventure OFMConv Scholasticate in Sinaksak, Pematangsiantar, North Sumatra. Fr. Nubatonis has been sent as a missionary to Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
According to the Conventual Franciscans, holding the ordination in Sasi was a deliberate choice tied to the order’s missionary history and direction.
“The Conventual Franciscan Order of the Immaculate Mary Province of Indonesia intentionally designed the ordination Mass of our three new priests to be held in Sasi for two important reasons,” said Fr. Fictorium Natanael Ginting, OFMConv, a writer and author on the history and spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.
“First, to commemorate the 25-year history of the Indonesian Conventual mission, which had previously been active mainly in western Indonesia and is now beginning new pastoral work in eastern Indonesia, particularly on the western part of Timor Island, NTT, and specifically in Sasi, Kefamenanu,” he explained.
Fr. Ginting said the Conventual Franciscan mission in Sasi was initiated by two missionaries from Sumatra, Fr. Antonio Razzoli, OFMConv, a missionary from Italy, and Fr. Laurentius Sihaloho, OFMConv, an Indonesian from North Sumatra.
From the perspective of the Indonesian Conventual Franciscans, the ordination in Sasi holds significance not only for the local church but also for the wider Catholic community in the region.
“It is important not only for the local Church of the Diocese of Atambua, but also for the entire community of the faithful, the local people of NTT Province, because it signifies that the Conventual Franciscans have now been present for 25 years in eastern Indonesia,” the order said.
The decision to celebrate the ordination in Sasi also underscored the logistical and geographic realities of ministry in eastern Indonesia. Reaching the area requires multiple flights and a long land journey, reflecting the remoteness of the mission territory.
Beyond NTT, the Conventual Franciscans also serve at St. Luke’s Church in Sunter Parish, North Jakarta, and in remote areas of northern Kalimantan, including St. Gabriel Church in Nunukan, North Kalimantan.
In 2013, LiCAS visited Sasi and noted the classical architecture of St. Anthony of Padua Church, which is built from natural stone and large wooden beams. The church was designed with funding support secured by Fr. Razzoli, who drew on assistance from his nephew, Giuliano Razzoli, an international-level athlete and Olympic gold medalist. Fr. Razzoli later undertook a similar effort at St. Gabriel Church in Nunukan Parish, within the Diocese of Tanjung Selor.
The ordination ceremony drew a strong response from the local community, with local government officials and hundreds of religious accompanying the procession.
“This is not only a joyful spiritual celebration for the Conventual Franciscan Order of the Immaculate Mary Province of Indonesia, but also for the entire local Church of the Diocese of Atambua,” said a senior official of North Central Timor Regency.
“May the newly ordained priests always remain faithful to their vocation, humble in their service, and become shepherds who bring light to the people,” he told local media.
