he Spring day was warm and bright for Chicago. Nature mirrored the warmth of many who gathered at St. Therese Chinese Catholic Mission to witness the celebration of the perpetual vows of our brother, Petrus Hardiyanto, during the Sunday Parish Eucharist.
Having completed his academic preparation for ministry, Petrus was ordained a deacon in May, and only a few days later returned to his home in Indonesia where he will serve for one year at a Mission Station on the Mentawai Islands. It is a new reality for Petrus. Although the Mentawai Islands are part of Indonesia, Petrus comes from the Island of Java and both are worlds apart in the extensive archipelago southeast of the Asian mainland along the Equator.
Indonesia comprises over 13,500 islands (6,000 of which are inhabited), including Sumatra, Timor, Bali and Java, one of the most densely populated areas in the world with over 2,000 persons per sq. mi.
At the age of 20, Petrus joined the Xaverian missionaries in Jakarta and, after his first profession of the vows and the four-year philosophy studies, he came to Chicago where he first acquainted himself with English and the US Culture and then engaged in theological studies at Catholic Theological Union as well as in a rich variety of services to deepen his skills as a missionary. He served at the Ecumenical and Inter-religious Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago, tutored refugees, and spent a summer in a rural parish in the state of Georgia. His Pastoral Year he was at St. Therese Chinese Catholic Mission in the Chinatown section of the city of Chicago, working especially with youth and the school children of the parish.
At the prelude of the Perpetual Profession Mass, an Indonesian friend of Petrus sang the son “Flying Without Wings” by Steve Mac and Wayne Hector, which has the words, “Everybody’s looking for something… One thing that makes it all complete,” describing this act of perpetual profession as Petrus’ choice to make his life complete, dedicating it to God forever. In his welcome, Fr. Michael Davitti, pastor of St. Therese, situated the importance of this commitment by Petrus as marriage is in the lives of many. He related the tradition in his region of Italy, where at the birth of a son, the father begins to save wine for the child’s future marriage. At his ordination, Fr. Michael’s father reminded him that there is only enough wine for one celebration, “so make it good! This commitment is meant to last forever.”
The Eucharistic event continued as a celebration of the variety of cultures that were present that day. Songs were sung in Cantonese, Indonesian, Javanese as well as English.
In desperation, the man calls for an angel.
The angel appears,
“Angel, angel… how long must I keep giving?”
The angel looked at the man…
… the glance pierced him through.
“You may stop giving,
when the Lord stops giving to you.”
… and you?
In the homily, Fr. Rocco Puopolo, the rector of the Theology Community of Chicago, affirmed that “Petrus heard the call and accepted, a call to be light as Jesus is, for many people longing for light in their lives… Religious, in accepting the possibility of permanent commitment, proclaim that they are people of love and unity… people of hope… people of faith,… people of reflection. And all these qualities of life assume that they are people of prayer.” And he assured Petrus of our prayers that he may always be such a person. Finally, Fr. Rocco thanked all present at the celebration for their support and presence in Petrus’ life: “Now you are sending him as your missionary to a larger world.”
In response, the Indonesian choir sang “Panggillan Tuhan” (God is calling), and then, knowing of Petrus’ devotion to the Blessed Mother, a Javanese song “Derek Dewi Mariyah” (Following Mary).
After Mass the celebration continued in the hall where all enjoyed Chinese and Indonesian food and exchanged signs of friendship and warm wishes for Petrus. His motto was shared through a memento gifted to all: “Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” – Gal. 2:20.
(from Xaverian Mission Newsletter)