Alexander Denny Wahyudi, SX
A Reflection on the Summer Vacation in Indonesia
May 31st – August 21st 2006
After almost four years living and studying theology in the United States of America, then going back to my home country, Indonesia, I feel very proud, happy and touched because of only God’s greatness and generosity can and may I undertake days of full of grace that are very challenging and honing my life and vocation life in the beloved Xaverian Missionaries. For the goodness of my formators in the theology house in Chicago, I was given a chance to take my turn to have vacation in Indonesia in which the first time I proposed not to take it with my own reasons. The formators especially Father Victor Bongiovanni, SX said that my family in Indonesia have a right of my presence and visit. Then, I really appreciated his advice. With my grateful and steady heart I passed the gracious days in the month of May 2006 in which I made the perpetual profession/vows (May 6th) and the diaconate ordination (May 14th) as well as the graduation of M.Div program for the priesthood track (May 18th) then I went home to Indonesia. Finally, I realized that my family in Indonesia are not only my family in my original hometown by blood-ties but also my bigger family of the Xaverians, my confreres.
During my vacation in Indonesia, I had hopes and ideas to visit and meet my own family and extended family as well as the Xaverian confreres in Indonesia as far as I could afford. The first week in Jakarta I visited each Xaverian house and parish. On Wednesday, May 31st, the very day of my arrival with Dharmawan, we were picked up by our beloved Xaverian provincial in Indonesia, Father Vincenzo Baravalle together with Pak Kismo, the driver. It is an honorable occasion for both of us. I took part on this day in the closing Mass of the month of Mary, the month of May at our Catholic neighbor, Saint Therese I, Saint Pascal parish, coincided with the Feast of Visitation (Mary visits Elisabeth). It came to fulfillment on that very day my gratitude to God for all blessing I have received for the last four years. The Catholic fellows of this neighborhood are my supporter of my vocation life because before I left for the USA, they gathered to make farewell meeting with me at the end of October 2002. During my stay in the USA, I liked to send my letters and greetings diligently through their leader, Pak Iemawan. This Mass at that first day of my visit in Indonesia was held for the intention of the farewell simple event with Father Vitus Rubianto, SX who goes to continue his studies in Rome, Italy.
Day by day I spent my vacation with full of enthusiasm and my plans slowly came to be accomplished. I am very grateful for what I have planned since I was in the USA came to real because of God’s grace. They are gathering my family in my hometown both Madiun and Ponorogo by accompanying the family of my second older sister, Lusi who live in Jakarta. Together with her husband and the three little daughters after three years never went to visit our family in Madiun and Ponorogo, so the chance was really a precious one in which during the vaction time of the school for a week I could invite and accompany them having vacation to encounter again our father and other extended family. This wonderful occasion was very seldom because the life and busy-ness of each family that has far distant separates us. This family reunion has become my idea that came true on my vacation time that could be seen on the photos I took. In this encounter together with my family, there was a communication openly and face to face by sharing our story ups and downs in different levels of our lives. Apparently, there is one precious value I praise, namely, each family thinks of many ways to help one’s problem especially the one who has economical problem. It’s the beauty of living in the spirit of fraternal charity of brother/sisterhood that the Psalm 133 talks about.
Even though I could not witness the wedding ceremony of both of my younger brothers since I was staying in the USA, I was very happy with them on this vacation days particularly in the baptism of my nephew, the first son of my brother, Rony at Cornelius Catholic Church in which I baptized him together with eight other babies as well as at the hospital witnessing the birth process of my latest nephew, the first son of my youngest brother, Jimmy. It’s the first time in my life waiting for and listening to a mother who gives birth. It came to fulfillment what I have predicted when I was in the USA to have these two big opportunities of my brothers’ family. Even my father who is not Catholic came to witness the baptism of his grandson and it seemed that he was paying attention fully to me as I led the rite of infant baptism. He was very proud of me and told my oldest sister his happiness.
Living together with my father who lives alone at his house in Madiun, I am still very grateful because he is still strong enough and healthy, able to do his daily activities by himself autonomously in his age of 64 years old. He is always proud of me who decided to be a priest in the Xaverian family. Moreover, he invited me to attend a reunion of his friends in Solo and introduced me to his friends that took place in a luxurious hotel, Lor In Hotel in Solo, Central Java. The first and the last day of my stay in my hometown, Madiun, I went to the tomb of my mother, my grandmother and grandfather. My mother died because of brain tumor in 1983 when I was nine years old. Traditionally, I bought roses and spread over the tomb of my mother and my grandparents at the Chinese cemetery in Madiun, my hometown. At the last night of my stay in Madiun before I left for Jakarta, my father took and accompanied me at the train station. He saw me until the train left. What a nice attention and love of a father to his son that I could praise gratefully.
During my days of vacation, I tried my best to visit my families and extended family whom I have not met long time ago as well as my friends and fellows who become part of my vocation history in Madiun, and other cities such as Solo, Semarang, Surabaya, Bandung, Surabaya, Jakarta and Ponorogo. In this encounter, I felt that the family spirit was being knitted again by sharing my own experience and listening to their stories. Even though, it’s very seldom they visit my own nuclear family but I still feel a part of them, a living reminder of my history and story of my background and origin I ever have as a given grace of God. Some historical sites of my life I tried to visit especially the houses I ever lived in during my stay with my family. I counted that there are more than 6 times we moved from one house to others.
Very glad I could introduce myself to Catholic faithful and pastors of both Madiun and Ponorogo, even I was accepted nicely and offered to give preaching/homily in Sunday Masses as in my capacity as a deacon. I accepted the chances willingly and proudly giving animation and sharing of my vocation to the people of God. My visit to schools and convents in Madiun and other cities that have shaped my vocation life encouraged me to share my experience by asking and answering questions together with students of Junior High School of Saint Bernard (an Ursuline Sisters’ school in Madiun) and SMA Negeri 2 in Madiun (a high school). The pastor of the parish in Madiun offered me to visit some stations of basic communities and I was given a mandate to witness and bless a sacrament of matrimony at the station of Jenangan, Madiun.
My visit to the confreres in Padang has given me a special feeling of happiness after some years did not see them. I was very glad to be given a chance by Father Carlos Melgares, sx to preach at the church of Padang Baru both at the parish church and the station of Pasar Usang. It cured what I have missed in my formation to practice the pastoral year because after graduation of my philosophy studies at STF Driyarkara, Jakarta, I was immediately sent to the USA, to study English and theology. I visited the parish of Bintaro, Jakarta and stayed for a couple of days as Fathers Laurenzi and Marini had invited me and once I took part of a Mass at a basic community in a lingkungan with Father Marini as well as concelebrated a Sunday Mass at the parish with Father Laurenzi. At the Chinatown parish in Jakarta, Toasebio, I took part in two Masses concelebrating with Father Joseph Pierantoni and once I preached, and having dinner together with the three Xaverian priests there. I feel as a part of this big family, the Xaverians.
Many encounters with my family members and friends are followed by having dinner either at their houses or at a restaurant. I think that it’s a sign of their gratitude and mine as well to be celebrated solemnly as follow up of the Eucharist, a banquet of full fraternal charity and love.
Another happiness is that I have been permitted to buy a folding bicycle as a tool for me to visit others simply and effectively both in Jakarta and other cities. It became a healing longing for my past habit (habitus) when I was living in Jakarta, like to visit my friends and family by bicycle. It becomes a practical tool and trains me to practice my perseverance to cycle with full of enthusiastic power and strength willing to meet and reach out others.
The last days I stayed in Jakarta I used to visit my confreres in Bintaro to say goodbye both at the novitiate and the parish. I met the 11 novices and 16 pre-novices informally, in which I could show them my DVD of my deaconate ordination at Saturday night after they practiced choir. Staying a night in the novitiate gave me a grateful breath that I, too, have passed this special event in the formation. All of this, I like to be grateful for, as a foundation and basic that support my life right now. I am happy as well to meet and visit other formation house at the philosophy house at Cempaka Putih Raya 42. By this visit, it reminds me again my past time as I knit the fraternal relationship as a brother among others in the beloved Xaverian family.
There were wonderful and ideal things on this writing but I realize that I have limitations and shortcomings as well as sins that I was consciously and unconsciously doing. Therefore, I apologize and ask input and insight in order to help me to develop my growth as a person and human then as a Xaverian missionary priest to come.
As Father Vincenzo, the provincial of the Xaverians in Indonesia, personally asked me to write this reflection of my vacation, so at the very last day of my stay in Indonesia, I like to express my heartfelt thanks for the goodness and generosity and fraternity of all people whom I met in my home country, Indonesia, especially the service of Father Otello Pancani, SX as the procurator who always accompanies me in the morning Mass and provides other needs.
Finally, my hope for the next year is that together with other Xaverians, I could come back to Indonesia to have vacation (Harno, Made, Agung, and Hebry) and to be ordained priest (Utomo, Maryono, Ignatius, Dharmawan, and I), hopefully with God’s will, on Saturday, 7 July 2007 in Bintaro Church as I have proposed personally to Father Vincenzo because it’s the day of vacation of school so that our family could come to attend and witness our ordination as well as other practical reasons. For sure I open to other many possibilities and I commend all of this in the goodness of God through the superiors of the Xaverians both in Indonesia and other places. I beg the prayer and support of the provincial in Indonesia and all other confreres in Indonesia to keep praying for me and other Indonesian students in our daily struggle in various international theologies in the world. May we give fruitful harvest in due time with God’s blessing.
Fraternal greeting from me,
IN OMNIBUS CHRITUS
CARITAS CHRISTI URGET NOS
Frater Deacon Alexander Denny Wahyudi, SX
