Since 1971,
the Oblates from the Australian Delegation who worked on Java Island saw good interest
among Indonesian young men to be Missionary Oblates. In 1980, 8 Indonesian
youth entered the Oblates. They stayed and learnt philosophy at the scholasticate
of St. Paul, Kentungan, Yogyakarta. In 1981, the Australian Delegation agreed
to build a house for the Oblate candidates from Indonesia at Yogyakarta. Some
preparations were then carried out to this purpose; one of them was that the
Oblates bought 600 m2 land at the village of Dero, Condong Catur,
Yogyakarta. In January 1982, the building of the formation house was started. The
aim of the project was to prepare the main buildings with bedrooms, kitchen,
and washing room.
On 29 July
1982, 8 Oblate candidates from the scholasticate of St. Paul moved to the newly
finished scholasticate; there were as well 4 new candidates from the minor seminary
of Mertoyudan, Magelang. Fr. John Kevin CASEY came to Yogyakarta from St. Joseph
Parish, East Purwokerto, Central Java. He was appointed as the first rector of
the scholasticate. In 1983, some other buildings were finished. The formation
house was named “Wisma de Mazenod” (or De Mazenod House). It was blessed on the
feast of St. Lawrence the Martyr, on 10 August 1983, by Fr. Austin COOPER, the provincial
of Oblates of Australia at that time.
Over time, the
occupants of the scholasticate increased. In July 1983, 8 new candidates joined
the Wisma. In July 1984, there were another 9 new candidates. Seeing the
increasing number of the candidates from year to year, some other new
facilities were added. At the end of 1984, a rectory was built.
From the birth
of the scholasticate to date, Wisma de Mazenod has faithfully been preparing
Oblate candidates to possess the same spirit as the Founder, St. Eugene de
Mazenod. These candidates go through a period of 7 years to complete their
study of philosophy and theology and do some other formation programmes and
activities prepared carefully by the formators in order for the candidates to
be able to enter into a process of building their religious lives as an Oblate.
The scholasticate has been witness to a large number of Indonesian young men
who came into the formation house with holy intentions, trying to shape their lives,
to consecrate themselves to God and to serve Him as His means of giving blessings
to the Church.
Over the 30
year history of the scholasticate, there have been 31 Indonesian Oblates
ordained. The first Oblate, Fr. Gregorius Basir KARIMANTO was ordained on 29
February 1987, whilst the 31st Indonesian Oblate, Fr. Aloysius Wahyu
NUGROHO was recently ordained on 09 July 2012, at the parish of St. Mary
Immaculate, Taraan, East Kalimantan.
The scholasticate’s
wheel of life is still spinning. For the academic year of 2012-2013, there are
10 scholastics and 1 Brother in the house. Surely it is the hope of all that there
will always be the seeds of vocations to Oblate life growing in the Catholic
families in Indonesia and that the scholasticate will continue be the witness
of an abundant harvest of Indonesian Oblates in the years to come. (Caraka Team)
