by Mathias Hariyadi

In the diocese of Ketapang, most Catholics live in remote, hard to get places. However, pastoral work does not stop, as evinced by the stories of Mgr Blasius Pujaraharja, the local bishop, and Fr Alexander Joko Purwanto Pr. Both stress that bringing the word of God needs a sound mind in a sound body.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Priests in Ketapang diocese (West Kalimantan province) face challenges every day to perform their pastoral work. With hundreds of Catholics, primarily ethnic Dayak, living in the forests, clergymen must travel long hours on small motor boats up and down local rivers or ride motorbikes on muddy roads. However, more is required according to Mgr Blasius Pujaraharja, bishop of Ketapang. “You must not only be in good health and physically fit, but you also need a good quality of mental fitness as well,” he said.

Back in November, the bishop himself was involved in an adventurous incident. On his way to St Peter the Apostle Church in Nanga Tayap (about 200 kms north of Ketapang, or about seven hours by boat), where he was scheduled to say mass, he and his aides were forced to stop their car because a heavy mud deposit had blocked the road. At first, Mgr Blasius tried to get to the other side of the road on foot. However, as he moved forwards he sank deeper in an “ocean of mud”.

“The situation got worse and I could not continue. Eventually, I sank to my thighs,” the bishop told AsiaNews. Still, undaunted, he pushed on because Mass could not be halted.

His aides finally got an idea. After getting the bishop, a big man, out of the mud, they were able to use special heavy equipment provided by local authorities to get him to his destination despite the very muddy roads. However, this came at a price. “I was hospitalised,” explained the bishop, “and I should undergo surgery to the knee”, which was hurt during the ordeal.

The bishop’s trying experience is not unusual because all the priests working in the diocese have similar experiences.

According to Fr Alexander Joko Purwanto Pr, who performs his pastoral duties in Nanga Tayap parish, there are few priests in relation to the size of the diocese, but only they can proclaim and spread the word of God since “the presence of catechists is very low”.

Fr Purkowerto said that once a Dayak Catholic asked him not to perform Sunday Mass because locals had to go fishing. Instead of agreeing to the request, the clergyman called on the whole community to take part in the Mass and asked for the Lord’s blessing for their fishing.

After that, he built a shrine to the Virgin Mary on parish land to encourage local Catholics to engage in devotional prayers for Our Lady.

“The idea was simple. When the faithful come and pray, I can guide them and spread the faith,” he said. “Catechism is not as effective, when a priest must visit Catholic homes since they are so spread out.”

• indonesia
• ketapang
• west
• kalimantan
• catechism
• priests
• blasius
• pujaraharja
• alexander
• purwanto
• joko
• long
• distances
• mud