Tanjung Selor diocese celebrates mission in its remotest area
The first celebration took place in 2019 on the initiative of Bishop Paulinus Yan Olla. Two PIME missionaries were also present and they visited Apau Kayan parish, one of the least accessible places in North Kalimantan.
Tanjung Selor (AsiaNews) – The Diocese of Tanjung Selor marked this year’s missionary month in Apau Kayan, a remote area in Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province.
On Sunday, the local bishop, Mgr Paulinus Yan Olla, led the Mass in St Paul parish church in Tideng Pale, in the presence of two visiting PIME missionaries – Fr Xavier Lourdh, from PIME headquarters in Milan (Italy), and Fr John Berchman, from the India region.
The Diocese of Tanjung Selor began celebrating missionary solidarity in 2019. Bishop Olla spearheaded the initiative after Pope Francis proclaimed the extraordinary missionary month to mark the apostolic letter Maximum Illud issued by Pope Benedict XV.
Since then, a procession has been held every year that ends at a host parish.
Speaking to AsiaNews, the prelate explained that PIME’s presence was favoured by the institute’s interest in Asia’s most peripheral regions. Apau Kayan is the most isolated area and hard to reach by public transport.
“There is no daily flight service from Tanjung Selor to my parish in Apau Kayan,” said the parish priest, Fr Sixtus, who has been in charge of the parish for the past six years, “only a one-day service per week and it all depends on the weather” on a plane with “only eight seats”.
Both PIME priests expressed joy at being able to visit the Diocese of Tanjung Selor. “The key word is 'solidarity' because it leads everyone to work without preferences,” said Fr Xavier Lourdh.
“I was really moved to witness the diocese’s charitable activity” with “hundreds of people coming from everywhere and from very religious background. We will bring our ‘findings’ to Milan and the superior general,” he explained.
(Angel Li da Tanjung Selor contributed to this article)
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