Thousands of Indigenous Dayak faithful in Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province mourned Italian missionary Natalino Belingheri, who died April 10, 2026, in Tarakan after nearly five decades of ministry among remote communities.
His death marks the passing of the last member of the first group of seven Italian missionaries from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate assigned to the region in the late 1970s, signaling the end of an era of pioneering foreign mission work in the area.
“Father Natalino was the last surviving member of the first group of seven Italian OMI missionaries to pass away. One Italian OMI missionary remains, Father Dino Tessari, OMI (83), who arrived later in the 1980s,” said Andri Atmoko, former provincial superior of the congregation in Indonesia.
Known locally as “Father Natalino” and by his adopted Dayak name “Wan Abung,” Belingheri lived closely with the communities he served, adopting local customs, speaking Indonesian and Dayak Punan languages, and participating in cultural traditions.
Born Aug. 5, 1943, in Colore, Italy, he joined the Oblates and was ordained in 1969. He was first assigned to Laos, where he served until 1975 before political developments forced his departure.
In 1977, he was sent to Indonesia with six other Italian missionaries and began pastoral work in the northern part of the Archdiocese of Samarinda on Borneo island, where church structures were still limited. Tarakan parish became the base of their mission.
Over time, the mission expanded from a single parish into a growing Catholic presence that contributed to the establishment of the Diocese of Tanjung Selor in 2001.
Belingheri served in remote areas including Tering, Mara Satu, Malinau, and Sapi Island, often traveling between villages. His work included the founding of the Apo Deno Dormitory on Sapi Island, which supported the education and formation of young people.
Reflecting on his missionary approach, Belingheri said: “For me, the mission is accomplished by being with the people, entering into contact with their customs, their ways of thinking about life and the world.”
He added that mission requires “the effort of the missionary to inculturate, to value the history and places of the people he serves,” while recognizing “the seeds of the Word already present” and contributing to “human and religious growth.”
After retiring from active ministry, he remained in Tarakan and continued visiting remote communities. He marked the 58th anniversary of his priestly ordination on March 29, 2026, in a hospital as his health declined.
His funeral at St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Tarakan drew mourners from across North Kalimantan, including communities from Mara Satu, Malinau, and Sapi Island. Traditional dances and Dayak Punan lamentations accompanied the rites.
The Requiem Mass was presided over by Bishop Paulinus Yan Olla, with Ignatius Wasono Putro and other priests concelebrating.
He was laid to rest at the Marian Sei Mentogog shrine complex beside a fellow Italian missionary.
