In conjunction with his visit to attend the celebration of the 100th anniversary of SCJ's presence in Indonesia, Father Carlos Luiz Suarez SCJ, Superior General, visited Long Apari from September 26 to October 1, 2024.
In this article, we give you some impressions of Long Apari and the Superior General’s stay.
Long Apari is one of the new mission areas of the SCJ Province of Indonesia, located in the Archdiocese of Samarinda on the island of Kalimantan (Borneo). It is part of the St. Paul Tiong Ohang Parish in the Mahakam Ulu region. SCJ Indonesia has been active in this mission since February 2023.
During his visit to Long Apari, Father General was accompanied by Father Andreas Suparman SCJ, Provincial of SCJ Indonesia. After the 100th SCJ anniversary celebration in Palembang, they flew from Palembang to Jakarta on the early morning of September 26, followed by a flight to Samarinda.
On September 27, they flew in a small plane for 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Datah Dawai. Three SCJ missionaries working in the Archdiocese of Samarinda also joined Father General on this journey.
After landing in Datah Dawai, they enjoyed lunch at the home of a local Dayak family. At 12:30 PM, they continued their journey to Long Apari by boat, navigating the Mahakam River for five hours. Due to low water levels in certain areas, Father General and the group had to walk over large rocks. They also crossed dangerous rapids.
Thanks to God, the journey went smoothly, and they arrived in Long Apari at 6:00 PM, where they were welcomed with traditional dances. They had dinner and rested.
Father General was very eager to visit Long Apari. He was impressed with Father Suparman’s experience when he visited Long Apari in February 2023. So, while attending the centennial celebration of SCJ’s presence in Indonesia, he made time to visit this challenging mission.
In his speech to the community there, Father General mentioned two reasons why he was so determined to visit Long Apari. First, to thank the people of Long Apari because they have become “teachers of life and faith” for the confreres. Even though SCJ has only been present for one year, the SCJs already deeply love and are loved by the community. Second, to express gratitude to the confreres sent there. The confreres have been willing to become good students and serve with full dedication.
The welcoming ceremony there touched his heart deeply and made him very happy. In the following day, on Saturday, September 28, fr General visited a chapel, it is Noha Tivab, to say the daily mass. The people were so happy and invited fr General to have lunch.
In the afternoon they had a cultural festival: a rowing competition, performances of local arts and crafts were held.
As additional information, Long Apari still has no electricity. Lighting is provided by the pastorate’s generator, and mobile phone signal is hard to come by.
On the third day of his visit to Long Apari, Father General celebrated Mass with the people of the village. The chapel in Long Apari serves as the heart of the village, surrounded by the village leader’s office and the Lamin, a traditional cultural house. The residence of the SCJ missionaries is located near the chapel.
After the Sunday Mass, Father General and his companions traveled to Noha Silat chapel, which required a 30-minute boat ride. There, he celebrated Mass and spent time with the villagers. As is customary, the villagers welcomed the new guests with a traditional ceremony. The guests were escorted by the women to the Lamin. They danced in a circle around the hall, and afterward, the village leader presented the guests with a bracelet and a traditional hat.
Fr. General felt the fraternity and sensed the hospitality of the villagers. He is really happy having the opportunity to see them, the simple people and living in the border of Indonesia. Long Apari places in north of Indonesia sharing the border with Sarawak Malaysia.
After that, they went to Datah Dawai. It takes 4 hr 30 minutes with boat ride. They spent the night in the local resident. They are going to fly to Samarinda in the following day.
