Indonesia’s young attend retreat promoting vocations

Feb.12,2014: In Indonesia, the Diocese of Purwokerto in Central Java organised a weekend retreat for young people in order to promote vocations, strengthen the faith and increase enrolment at the major and minor seminaries in the province. In recent years, the area has seen a progressive drop in ordinations. For this reason, local Church leaders have launched a series of initiatives to encourage priestly vocations. The priests behind this initiative are
Frs. Frans Kristi Adi and Yeppy Emmanuel. For weeks, the two diocesan priests handed out flyers and promoted the retreat on social networks. Some 28 young men from various parishes responded enthusiastically to their call.
The two days of retreat and prayer have brought renewed hope for the future. Inspired by the theme “Choose love and love your choice,” the 28 participants were introduced to the basics of consecrated vocation by the priests, who provided them with the basic knowledge that they need before starting more in-depth theological and philosophical studies. They also encouraged them to become 'agents of change and growth' in the life of the diocese.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million, or 3 per cent of the population.
The country's constitution recognises freedom of religion, but Christians have become the victims of acts of violence and abuse in the recent past, especially in areas where Islamic extremism is well rooted, like Aceh. Catholics are nevertheless an active component of society and have contributed to the nation's development.
Source: AsiaNews