HONG KONG (SE): Father Natalius Suryanto was born to a devout Catholic family on Christmas Day, 25 December 1987 in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, in Indonesia. The Divine Word missionary and the new chaplain for Indonesians considers it a special grace. “Every Christmas, I feel a sense of calling to bring joy and service to people,” he said.
He joined the seminary in 2005 and was ordained a priest in 2016. He came to Hong Kong in 2018 and learned Cantonese. In 2019, he was assigned to the Holy Family parish, Choi Hung, as an assistant parish priest.
He has served as the spiritual advisor to over 10 English-speaking communities in the parish over the past four years. During Bible sharing sessions with more than 300 Filipino community members in Choi Hung, Father Suryanto encouraged them to share their experiences of struggles in life as migrant workers.
In organising services for both Chinese and English communities and encouraging interaction between them, he believes it is also important to give equal attention to both.
For the past four years, he has been a reliable helping hand for Father Heribertus Hadiarto, the former chaplain for Indonesians, to handle matters of chaplaincy in case Father Hadiarto was not available, such as labour issues in the shelter for Indonesians in Wah Fu and the activities of the Indonesian Catholic Community in Christ the King, Causeway Bay.
…he believes he is on a mission to remind them of their identity as Indonesian Catholics and to protect both their culture and the faith…
According to him, a major problem facing Indonesian workers is marital infidelity. According to him, the problem is not serious among Filipino workers since their Catholic faith supports their marriages. Many Indonesians, however, do not have the same suppport at home.
His duty in such circumstances is to listen and give encouragement, as well as to refer them to a professional if necessary.
His services extend to Indonesians of different religions, caring for employment and family issues as a chaplain. Although he and the volunteers do not intend to convert people to Catholicism, as they respect other religious beliefs, some non-Catholics have been attracted to the Catholic faith. However, they may face pressure when they return home as baptised Catholics, as their families may not accept the conversion. “I will then encourage them to carefully explain to their family and help them understand their situation,” he said.
In addition to the Indonesian Catholic community gathering every Sunday at Christ the King Chapel in Causeway Bay, they also gather at Tung Chung and Tuen Mun. He also oversees a youth group of approximately 50 Indonesian university students, who gather on the first Friday of every month.
We, as Indonesians, have our own culture and faith to protect. As Catholics, we also need to keep our faith
Father Suryanto
Among the different Indonesians he serves, he believes he is on a mission to remind them of their identity as Indonesian Catholics and to protect both their culture and the faith, which is a symbol of unity. After spending many years in Hong Kong, he has observed that some Indonesians tend to forget their own cultures and find it difficult to find a set of national costumes at home for special occasions.
“We, as Indonesians, have our own culture and faith to protect. As Catholics, we also need to keep our faith,” he said. “On special occasions, it is beautiful to see people in traditional costumes from different regions in Indonesia, be it Flores, Java or Sumatra, come to Mass as people of one Church,” he said.
He also thanked his predecessor, Father Hadiarto, for organising different faith formation activities, such as a retreat every year inviting bishops from Indonesia as guest speakers and special activities for Bible Month in September.
Together with Father Hadiarto, he met Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan SJ, on August 18, who expressed his support for the Indonesian chaplaincy and at the same time, encouraged community members to continue their great support, which is the key to the success of all chaplaincy activities.
Father Suryanto believes that what the bishop said is very true. He is grateful for every contribution from the volunteers, particularly those who were willing to work around the clock to help a distressed worker who sought help after being terminated.
