April 27, 2011
Fr. Yohannes Bambang Cahyo Wicaksono gave his report of the Paschal celebrations in his church in Surabaya, Indonesia, (Ecumenical Patriarchate):
Greeting in The Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
Christos Anesti, Alistos Anesti, Kristus Telah Bangkit, Sungguh Dia telah Bangkit.
Just need you inform that St. Nikolaos orthodox community has been built in the year 2008, and began from zero and now St. Nikolaos has 70 members, and when we were doing the Pascha service, the whole members of St. Nikolaos Orthodox Community has come, even the place that we are using for this divine liturgy of Pascha could almost not accommodate people who come in that service.
On the other hand, you need to know that the place that we are using for the divine liturgy and gathering of St. Nikolaos Community is still borrowing from one of Our St. Nikolaos Orthodox Community namely : Mr. Stefanus Hendra.
Based on that, We are dreaming and planning to have our own Orthodox Church, so that we will feel free in doing our Church Activities. Therefore our big hope and request to Our Orthodox Brothers and Sisters to help us so that the Orthodox Church can be built in the central City of Surabaya namely the second big city after Jakarta in Indonesia.
Without your support and help, impossible the orthodox Missionary work can be developed nicely especially in Java Island. THerefore Our hope to you is to support and to help so that the Orthodox Missionary work can be done nicely and the name of God can be glorified.
To develop the Orthodox Missionary work in Indonesia, we are not just stopping in Surabaya, but also tried to open the New Orthodox Community in North Sulawesi Island, and on May 14, we will baptize 6 persons into our Orthodox Church, and this is as our Orthodox embryo to build the Orthodox Church there.
Our Mission in Menado beside Surabaya, not only to build the orthodox Community, but also to help their education, therefore to start helping them in Education, we will dig the foundation of Our Orthodox Kindergarten in Modoinding – North Sulawesi Island ( Menado ) and the name of Our Orthodox Kindergarten will be ” Aghia Wacana Orthodox Kindergarten of St. Nikolaos”, so that on july, the children will be able to enter and begin to study in their New Orthodox Kindergarten.
And For detail information in relationship our Orthodox Missionary work in Menado along with some reports, we will give after I came to Menado on May 5, 2011.
Finally, for your goodness, kindness in participation on this Mission, here we would like to say thank you for your help, God be with you all, amen.
Yours in Christ
Fr. Yohanes Bambang Cahyo Wicaksono