Memoria Passionis of the Vincentian Missionaries during the Japanese Invasion: A Glimpse of the 100 Years of the Lazarists’ Mission in Indonesia

Abstract

This historical study of the mission addresses the memoria passionis (memory of suffering) of the Vincentian Missionaries during the Japanese invasion (1941‒1945). The first Dutch Lazarists (Vincentians) arrived in Indonesia in 1923 and began to work to establish the Diocese of Surabaya as mandated by the Propaganda Fide. In the next twenty years (1923‒1943) Surabaya was erected as a prefecture (1928) then vicariate (1941) with an increasing number of the Catholics. But all the missionary efforts of evangelization seemed to be halted by the bloody Japanese invasion. From the very beginning of the invasion, the Kempetai (the Japanese Military Police Corps) arrested the Dutch or other Europeans and interned them in camps and confiscated the Catholic buildings. This is a dark moment for the missionaries and the mission in Indonesia. The title of this study borrows a theological expression from JB Metz, memoria passionis (Metz 2007), and demonstrates it in action with accounts of the Lazarists’ mission under the Japanese occupation in Indonesia. The study utilizes the methodology of listening to the narratives of suffering from the excerpts of manuscripts discovered in the archives. From this study, we found that the Vincentians were persevering, test resistant and diligently continued along with the lay people to restore the mission in the vicariate. Their sufferings did not only put them in the way of martyria but also inspired people to participate more actively to rebuild the mission and eventually render a theological impact to form the Catholic Church of Surabaya to have strong participation by the laity. 1 We are deeply grateful to Fr. John Rybolt, C.M. (De Paul University, Chicago), former director of the International Formation Center (Paris) who reviewed and proofread this article. We also thank Fr. Wiel Bellemakers, C.M., the former provincial superior of the Dutch province, who suggested some ideas essential to the content of study. And, to the Province of the Congregation of the Mission, Indonesia which financed the research of this study, we wholeheartedly express our deep gratitude. 104 Bogoslovni vestnik 83 (2023) • 1