The Missionaries of the Holy Family (MSF) marked its 131st anniversary with a Eucharistic celebration at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, on Sept. 28, bringing together priests, a religious brother and hundreds of parishioners.
Eight MSF priests and Brother Sigit MSF joined the celebration, which highlighted missionary vocation, fraternity and family life.
Matthew 9:35-38, in which Jesus travels from village to village teaching, healing and showing compassion to people “like sheep without a shepherd,” provided the reflection for the celebration. Jesus’ words, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,” also resonated with the priests’ stories of vocation.
Instead of delivering a formal homily, the priests were invited to answer a simple question: What makes you happy as an MSF?
For Father Bimo Handoko MSF, parish priest of Jagakarsa, happiness comes from accepting every assignment as a call from God. In 18 years of priesthood, he has served in seven places. Wherever he is sent, he said, he tries to carry out his ministry with joy.
Missionary vocation
Missionary service was central to the vocation stories shared by several priests.
An MSF priest serving on Nias Island, North Sumatra, recalled meeting Catholics in remote villages who had gone as long as seven years without celebrating Christmas together. Such experiences strengthened his conviction that missionary work was no longer merely an aspiration but had become his daily ministry.
Father Ruswan MSF said his assignments in East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, Lampung and Pangkalpinang taught him that missionary service was not confined to a particular geographical area. Even while serving in Jakarta, his ministry could take him from East Jakarta to Tangerang on the same day.
Father Budiyono MSF traced his missionary vocation to his years at Mertoyudan Minor Seminary in Magelang, Central Java, where the late Father Santoso MSF introduced him to the missionary work of the congregation, particularly in difficult areas such as Kalimantan.
The stories inspired him to choose MSF. More importantly, he said, he later discovered a strong family spirit within the congregation.
‘A family within the mission’
Father Antonius Feri MSF described fraternity as one of the greatest sources of happiness in religious life.
“Who else can we turn to and share our experiences of joy and sorrow with, if not our brothers in the community?” he asked.
For him, that family spirit is expressed both within MSF communities and in the parishes where the priests serve. It is also something they can share with parishioners through pastoral accompaniment.
Father Giovani Mahendra Christi MSF, known as Father Ivan, brought humor to his reflection. He jokingly interpreted MSF as “Manusia Suka Festa” — “people who love celebrations.”
September is especially meaningful for MSF. Sept. 19 is the feast of Our Lady of La Salette, the congregation’s patroness, while Sept. 28 commemorates its foundation.
Father Ivan said concelebrating Mass was another expression of MSF fraternity. As a young person in Purwosari Parish, Central Java, where MSF priests serve, he experienced this family spirit himself. He now sees senior priests guiding younger members in the same spirit of brotherhood.
Mission, suffering and reconciliation
Father Sulistyo Dwi Nugroho MSF, the most senior priest present, has been a priest for 41 years and in religious life for 48 years. His missionary years in Kalimantan included long and difficult journeys through forests and poor roads to reach remote outstations.
At times, the journeys could not be completed in one day, forcing him to spend the night on the road.
The physical demands eventually affected his health, including a swollen liver. On medical advice and with permission from his superiors, he returned to Java for a less geographically demanding assignment.
The experience, however, did not diminish his gratitude for his vocation. He encouraged people to be grateful for the gift of health and said even suffering could become an opportunity to unite oneself with Christ’s suffering.
For Father Rufinus Herlambang MSF, priestly happiness comes particularly through helping families find reconciliation. He thanked parishioners for supporting MSF priests and apologized for occasions when they may not have been able to serve as expected.
He said accompanying families facing separation and helping them rediscover peace was among the most meaningful parts of his ministry.
Healthy and loving families, he added, are also where vocations can first take root. He encouraged families to nurture warmth, security and healthy relationships, following the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Former MSF member remembers
For Hari Padma, a former MSF member, the anniversary also became a moment of reconnection.
Father Sulistyo’s story of illness resonated with Padma’s own experience. He had once suffered from a swollen liver and spent a week in a hospital in Banjarmasin.
Although he is no longer a member of the congregation, Padma said his years with MSF remain an important part of his life. He attended the anniversary celebration to share in the joy of the congregation and the parish community served by MSF priests.
After Mass, he joined the priests and Brother Sigit for a photograph in front of the statue of the Holy Family.
For Padma, the celebration was more than an anniversary. It was an opportunity to reconnect with a community that had shaped an important part of his life.
Renewing the missionary spirit
The 131st anniversary brought together different dimensions of the MSF vocation: missionary service in remote areas, fraternity within the religious community, pastoral care for families, and accompaniment through suffering and reconciliation.
Songs dedicated to Our Lady of La Salette, including compositions by younger MSF priests and seminarians, added another expression of the congregation’s spirituality and continuing vocation.
For parishioners, the celebration was also an expression of gratitude for the MSF priests who have served their communities.
The anniversary became not only a remembrance of 131 years of history but also an opportunity to renew the congregation’s commitment to missionary service, fraternity, reconciliation and the spirit of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
