INDONESIA: A Church on the Move: Formation, Mission and Hope
From missionary formation to youth ministry, Indonesia is preparing to experience an intense month dedicated to mission, with numerous initiatives at diocesan and national level. The Church in Indonesia is preparing to experience a particularly significant year for mission, through a rich programme of initiatives involving dioceses, missionaries, priests, religious women, catechists, seminarians, young people and lay faithful. At the heart of this journey is World Mission Sunday, which in 2026 takes on a special significance in the context of the centenary celebration of World Mission Sunday, established in 1926. The guiding theme proposed by the Message of Pope Leo XIV is “United in Christ, united in mission”, an invitation to rediscover the missionary dimension of Christian life and to become “Missionaries of Hope” in our communities.
A national webinar in preparation for World Mission Sunday
Among the initiatives planned is a national webinar dedicated to the centenary of World Mission Sunday. The meetings, scheduled for 14, 18 and 21 September 2026, will feature Fr T. Krispurwana Cahyadi, SJ, Bishop Paulus Budi Kleden, SVD, and Ms Frederika Korain. The webinar will provide an opportunity for shared reflection and preparation, bringing together different experiences and perspectives within the Indonesian missionary context. The meetings will take place according to Jakarta time and will be accessible online.
In Jayapura, formation becomes missionary experience.
Particularly significant is the Missiology Course promoted in the Diocese of Jayapura, running from May to October. Its aim is to deepen understanding of the meaning and practice of mission, involving a broad and diverse group of participants. From May to August, more than 300 people followed the course online via Zoom: lay people involved in mission stations, parish volunteers, catechists, seminarians, religious sisters and many faithful. Some participated individually, while others joined in small groups or together with parish communities. The second phase, from September to 15 October, will bring formation directly into the local context: participants will be invited to undertake missionary experiences in their own communities. The journey will culminate in a moment of spiritual recollection on 16 October and, the following day, in the celebration of World Mission Sunday and the mission of participants in the missiology course and the diocesan SOMA.This represents an important step: mission is not presented merely as something to be studied, but as an experience to be lived within communities and everyday life.
Young people and children at the heart of formation
From 15 to 17 October, also in the Diocese of Jayapura, the SOMA for SEKAMI animators will take place, dedicated to the formation of missionary animators. The programme will address various aspects of missionary animation and pastoral ministry: from the spirituality of the Pontifical Mission Societies to youth pedagogy, from creativity in accompanying children and adolescents to digital ministry. Public speaking and storytelling will also be included.
The aim is to provide animators with tools to accompany younger generations in a social and communication environment that is constantly changing.
Mission, ecology and solidarity
Another area of cooperation involves the Pontifical Mission Societies of Indonesia and the Commission for Economic Empowerment and Solidarity of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference. The cooperation is linked to the celebration of World Food Day and World Mission Sunday and includes ecological and missionary formation activities for adolescents through the Teens School of Mission. The national activities will be concentrated in the Diocese of Manado, creating a connection between missionary awareness, care for the environment and the formation of young people.
A network of initiatives throughout the dioceses
Alongside the national programmes, numerous initiatives are being promoted directly by individual dioceses. The national secretariat of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Indonesia accompanies and supports these initiatives, while also preparing materials for Missionary Month. These resources include a liturgical guide, a text for Eucharistic adoration, missionary catechesis, biblical reflections, a missionary rosary and proposals for missionary activities gathered under the theme “One day, one prayer and one mission.” This network of initiatives reflects a missionary reality seeking to involve the entire ecclesial community: not only pastoral workers, but also families, young people, children and lay faithful.
Indonesia’s journey towards World Mission Sunday 2026 is therefore marked by one key word: participation. Online formation reaches hundreds of people; local experiences transform study into practice; animator training looks towards younger generations; and cooperation between ecclesial bodies connects mission, solidarity and ecology. Along this journey, the message “United in Christ, united in mission” becomes a common thread capable of bringing together different realities. Mission is not entrusted only to a few, but involves communities as a whole and invites each person to recognise his or her own contribution. This is the face of a Church that, through formation and concrete experience, seeks to transform the celebration of World Mission Sunday into an authentic community journey of faith, service and hope.
