(June 04, 2012) Indonesia’s oldest minor seminary celebrated its centenary on Sunday
with a Holy Mass involving nine bishops, former seminarians and dozens of priests.
Around 3,000 Catholics attended the Mass at St. Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Central
Java’s Magelang district which was led by Archbishop Johannes Maria Trilaksyanta Pujasumarta
of Semarang. The seminary began with only two students, Petrus Darmaseputra and Franciscus
Xaverius Satiman, after Jesuit priests Fathers Franciscus Georgius Josephus van Lith
and Y Mertens submitted plans to build a local seminary to the Jesuit superior-general
in Rome, who granted permission on May 30, 1912. Hundreds of bishops and priests
have graduated from the seminary since then. The rector, Jesuit Father Ignatius Sumarya
said “the seminary’s journey has produced individuals who have strong faith and the
capability to strengthen faith in others.”