Indonesian Catholics: pilgrimages and devotion in Marian month
Jakarta (
AsiaNews) - Indonesian Catholics reserve a profound devotion to Eucharistic
adoration and Marian devotion , especially in the two months that the Catholic
Church dedicates to Our Lady: May and October. In
these two periods of the year thousands of people in all parts of the
archipelago , participate in pilgrimages and visits to Marian shrines to gather
in prayer and worship. Catholic
movements and groups promote organized trips to the major Marian centers in the
country and around the world, with moments of prayer and the recitation of the
Rosary .
Among
the various initiatives planned over the weekend is a workshop open to all
focused on " the power of prayer to Mary," in the parish of St.
Joseph of Matraman (East Jakarta) . Interviewed by AsiaNews E. Krisnadi
, a member of the organizing committee , said that the forum will discuss the
"spirituality " of the Virgin and of prayer the dedicated to her ,
"Hail Mary."
Another
"even more impressive" appointment dedicated to Mary is promoted by a
group layman from the parish of Santa Teresa in Menteng , in central Java . Hosted
by a local prayer movement, this seminar will focus on the role of the Virgin
Mary as "an effective path " to bring Christ to men , as stated in
the famous short prayer to Jesus through Mary . The
seminars will be weekly, at the end of which there will be a great pilgrimage
to the Marian grotto Sawer Rahmat at Kuningan ( Cirebon, West Java , 200
kilometers east of Jakarta) .
In
recent days, a meeting was held in the parish of Pejomponang in the Archdiocese
of Jakarta, also focusing on the strength of Mary and her charisma for
humanity. In
Purwokerto , in central Java , the meetings for worship at the grotto dedicated
to Our Lady continue throughout the year and conclude with a Mass presided over
by Bishop Sunarko Julianus
, in the presence of thousands of faithful .
In
May, the Catholic community in Jakarta organized a novena to Our Lady, in a completely
unique space: not a church or a chapel , but in a large hotel in Jakarta, in
one of the most important centers for business. One
way to encourage opportunities for prayer and reflection for the businessmen
that fill the Indonesian capital , and which saw the participation of thousands
of people.
Indonesia
is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Catholics are a small minority
of about seven million people, or 3 per cent of the population. In the
Archdiocese of Jakarta, the faithful reach 3.6 per cent of the population. Although
the constitution recognises religious freedom, Catholics have been the victims
of violence and abuse, especially in areas where extremist visions of Islam are
entrenched, like Aceh. Still, Catholics are an active component in society and
contribute to the nation's development as well as to emergency operations when
they arise, as was the case in last January's devastating floods.
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