a Trappist monastery in the middle of the jungle

It is the fourth monastery of the order on Indonesian soil and is located three and a half hours from the diocesan headquarters of Ketapang. The opening ceremony was presided over by Bishop Pius Riana Prapdi and was carried out according to the cultural traditions of the Dayak.

Jakarta () – The Cistercians of strict observance, or Trappists, yesterday inaugurated their fourth monastery. It is located in Pegadungan village, Sungai Melayu district, West Kalimantan province.

The new monastery stands in the middle of the Indonesian jungle (see photo), in a remote village, where public services are still very limited. To get to the place, you have to travel three and a half hours by car from Ketapang. The property was purchased decades ago by the then Bishop Blasius Pujaraharja.

The bishop of the diocese of Ketapang, Monsignor Pius Riana Prapdi, blessed the new facilities together with Father Isaac Majoor, Dutch Trappist leader of Konigshoeven Abbey in Tilburg. The ceremony was held according to the Dayak cultural tradition.

The small Trappist community of Pegadungan will be led by Fr. Mikael Santana, from the monastery of Lamanabi, on the island of Flores. In the task, three monks will assist him: Father Placio, Father Johan and Father Mario.

According to Fr. Santana, there is a strong link between the values ​​of the indigenous Dayak community and the Christian faith: “It is about brotherly love and I really hope that these values ​​will enrich our future life in Pegadungan,” he told .

Monsignor Pius Riana Prapdi said that “this Trappist monastery is necessary here in our diocese because prayers are really needed”, while Agustinus Sugeng Priyono hopes that “many religious vocations will be born to join our order”.

The first Trappist abbey in Indonesia was founded in 1953 in Rawaseneng, in Temanggung District, Central Java. The second monastery was established in 1987 in Gedono, on the slope of Mount Merbabu, while the third was erected in 1996 in Lamanabi, East Nusa Tenggara province.