LOCATED very near from the Malioboro Boulevard –the most popular street in Yogyakarta’s downtown—the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Heart of St. Mary enjoys its strategic location since lot of foreign tourists frequently walk around. This catholic church is located in the heart of Malioboro Boulevard –only some meters away from this iconic and culturally scenic spot.
It is also not far from the Tugu Railway Central Station.
It is within this social context that an initiate of performing a regular weekly English Mass was taken in 2015 by Father Hartosubono and this tradition still operates to this present time.
“When Father Hartosubono was assigned to another job in other parish, I strongly boost the morale of the parish’s liturgical commission to perform the parish’s regular weekly English mass service,” says Father John “Santo” Dwi Harsanto, the chief parish priest, to Sesawi.Net in Yogyakarta, 14 February 2017.
On Sundays at 07.00 p.m.
The regular weekly English Mass service in the Immaculate Heart of St. Mary’s Kumetiran Catholic Church of Yogyakarta is performed on Sundays at 07.00 p.m.
“We have kindly asked assistance from some English fluently speaking priests around the city, including Fr. Sumantara Pr, Fr. Andre Sugijopranoto SJ, Fr. Bambang SJ, Fr.Chandra, Fr. Robby CSsR,” explains Father Santo who had been the executive secretary of the Youth Commission in the Indonesian Bishops’ of Conference (Komkep KWI) prior to this parish service assignment.
To socialize this regular English mass service on Sundays late afternoon in the Catholic Church of Kumetiran, an initiative was also performed. “We send fliers to scores of hotels, accommodation spots, universities, schools, and tourist spots in Yogyakarta and the response is great,” confirms this diocesan priest of Semarang Archdiocese.
To this present time, there are at least 200 church-goers attending the English mass service on Sundays late afternoon in the Catholic Church of Kumetiran, Yogyakarta. “The most distant foreign tourists to come to Kumetiran Catholic Church are from Ukraine,” he explains.
By whom is liturgical preparations then performed?
Father Santo strongly boosts the morale of his own catholic congregation in the parish. “Scores of local catholic in the parish are involved to perform this pastoral service for foreign travelers in Yogyakarta,” he says.
The Catholic Church of the Immaculate Heart of St. Mary in Kumetiran of Yogayakarta also regularly performs a special mass with the local Javanese language at 06.00 a.m.
The Catholic Churc of the Immaculate Heart of St. Mary, Kumetiran, Yogyakarta: Jl. Kumetiran, No. 13, Pringgokusuman, Gedong Tengen, Yogyakarta, DIY 55272
