Sanctify, O Lord, those who love the beauty of Your house

Orthodox clergy in Indonesia continue their infrastructure projects, renovating and expanding Orthodox holy temples. Below, we publish two brief letters from Central and East Java.

Let us support them!

The Renovation of Saint Phanourios in Central Java

Dear friends of the Mission,

The renovation of the Church of Saint Phanourios at the Central Java Missionary Outpost in Indonesia has progressed significantly and is 75% complete. The interior of the church is now finished.

The church was built on land gifted to me by my father, the late Charalambos Yoso Sumarto. The renovation was carried out with financial assistance from the Orthodox External Mission Brotherhood, with our own funds, and with donations from members of the Saint Phanourios parish.

To complete the project, the church’s exonarthex, the baptistery, 250 seats for the church, 3 paint containers of 75 kg each, and the courtyard gate remain. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, we cannot complete the project.

This church is the spiritual center of the local Orthodox community, and its completion will allow us to welcome more faithful to the sacred services. We ask for your prayers and support.

We hope to use the church in December, to coincide with Christmas and our festive gathering. We plan to invite 225 people.

Fr. Methodios Sri Gunarjo

Appeal from East Java

Dear friends of the Mission,

Allow me to write to you about the work of our church here in East Java, Indonesia. To the glory of the Lord, everything is progressing smoothly and beautifully.

This year, we worked to repair the walls of our church’s enclosure, which were at risk of collapsing due to an earthquake, and, praise be to God, everything went well. The next project we are planning is the construction of a shelter in our church’s courtyard. This external shelter will protect the faithful who come to services, especially the elderly and families with young children. Our parish is constantly growing, and we need better infrastructure to serve our faithful.

According to the contractor, the total cost of the project amounts to 80,000,000 Rupiah, which is 4,200 Euros. This project is very necessary because the climate here is very difficult. The heat is unbearable, and when it rains, it is even worse. Many faithful find it difficult to come to church due to the weather conditions. With the completion of the project, we will be able to welcome more faithful safely and with dignity.

Please, my brethren, help us. I pray that the Panagia (All-Holy Theotokos) will save us. Amen.

Fr. Timotheos Joko Umbarwibowo