HONG KONG (SE): “I am so blessed to journey together with migrants. You are wonderful gifts of God. Let us continue to live our life as children of God. Be the migrants of love, faith and hope,” said Father Heribertus Hadiarto, chaplain to Indonesians, as he celebrated his eighth anniversary of priesthood.
The Divine Word Missionary was ordained together with Father Reynolds Balubun and Father Melchor Fuerzas in Hong Kong on 5 January 2014. That year, he was appointed the chaplain for Indonesians.
Father Hadiarto said he was a bit surprised at that time and, as a priest lacking in experience, he felt some pressure, especially in the first and second year. He thanked the people who worked with him and lent their support. “God has sent many angels; many dedicated people have come to help. The Diocese of Hong Kong is also very concerned about the foreign domestic workers, which is a witness for unity in diversity,” he said.
The 40-year-old missionary, who came to Hong Kong in 2008, said he felt blessed to be with the Indonesian community and supporting them in overcoming the difficulties of life over the past eight years.
“I hope to make my fellow countrymen feel at home in Hong Kong; to journey with them.” he said.
In order to help the Indonesian migrants with their spiritual, marriage, financial, health and employment problems, Father Hadiarto often needs to go to hospitals or prisons to visit them, or to consulates, as well as the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Filipinos and labour organisations to seek support.
For Indonesian workers who are sick, Father Hadiarto and his team will attend follow-up appointments with them and act as interpreters. If a worker unfortunately dies in Hong Kong, his team will help the family to communicate with the consulate and send the remains back to Indonesia.
In the end, it was not me who helped her but she who helped me. Whenever I visited her, she would always ask about me, my priesthood and cheer me on, which was really heartwarming
Father Hadiarto
His normal schedule on Sundays is to celebrate the earliest Sunday Mass at St. Edward’s Church in Lam Tin, and then rush to Christ the King Chapel in Causeway Bay by MTR to celebrate Mass for Indonesians and conduct catechism classes. Later he will go to Victoria Park where Indonesian domestic workers gather and do some bible sharings with them.
Living in east Indonesia when he was a child, Father Hadiarto said his vocation came from his parents who were dedicated Catholics who brought their children to church every morning. The family would go also to neighbours’ homes to pray the rosary during the Month of Mary and the Month of the Rosary.
The priest shared that he was greatly influenced by his parish priest, Father Alan Nasraya, an Irish Divine Word missionary, who showed a lot of concern for the poor. “I often saw him visiting parishioners on his motorcycle with a smile on his face.” he said. Studying at a secondary school set up by the Society of the Divine Word, he thought the priests were like a family to him. He was 16-years-old when he later entered the minor seminary.
In 2013, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, which came like a bolt from the blue for him. “I knew she was having a hard time, but she never moaned in front of me. She had a peaceful heart,” he said.
He visited her several times and considered leaving the seminary for a while to take care of her, “But she said I should go to the seminary without worrying. And I understood that consecrated life is a commitment so I made up my mind to respond to my vocation.”
At about the same time that his mother was ill with cancer, an Indonesian worker in Hong Kong was also suffering from the disease and asked for support. In the process of caring for her, Father Hadiarto said he felt more able to face his mother’s illness and vocation.
“In the end, it was not me who helped her but she who helped me. Whenever I visited her, she would always ask about me, my priesthood and cheer me on, which was really heartwarming.” The worker finished her journey on earth under the care and concern of the Indonesian community and her body was transported to her hometown for burial as arranged by Father Hadiarto.
Despite all the trials he faces, Father Hadiarto hopes to share the joy of the gospel by being a happy missionary. He thanked his parents for raising him in a family full of joy and faith, so that he can help his fellow Indonesians adapt to a new kind of life in Hong Kong.
At St. Edward’s, Father Hadiarto and other Divine Word missionaries take turns cooking dishes from their home countries to ease their homesickness. “It is happy to serve in Hong Kong. The people in Hong Kong are friendly. The transportation is convenient, and the food is rich and diverse. It is a gift from God to be able to stay here and to meet people of different nationalities,” the missionary said.
