Everything was ready for the grand opening and blessing of the community house of the Brothers of the Holy Family and the “St Joseph” hostel in Balai Berkuak, Kalimantan, Indonesia, on 9 May 2026. However, the night before, a severe storm prevented the final rehearsals from taking place and forced everything to be postponed until the following morning.
On 9 May 2026, the community of Brothers in Balai Berkuak, together with the other Brothers from Kalimantan, who had come from Nanga Tayap and Pangkalan Bun, Br. Matias Ledang and the Vice-Provincial, Br. Efraim, were ready for the day’s grand event. This was the first mission project of the Brothers of the Holy Family in Indonesia. After 15 years of presence, the Brothers were finally able to inaugurate and bless this first missionary project.
he morning of 9 May was marked by various cultural and indigenous rites characteristic of the people of Borneo, particularly the Dayak communities. Whilst awaiting the arrival of the Bishop, Monsignor Pius Riana Prapdi, Bishop of the Diocese of Ketapang, the ritual of cutting a bamboo stalk took place. The elders of the area had prepared a stalk that spanned the access road to the Brothers’ property. Upon the Bishop’s arrival, the welcome was accompanied by a traditional Indonesian martial arts dance, which the students performed with great passion and energy. This was followed by the bamboo-cutting ceremony: the Bishop ceded the honour to the Vice-Provincial, who, with a single stroke, almost cut it completely through; the Bishop then completed the ceremonial gesture. The bamboo-cutting symbolises a spiritual ceremony intended to ensure the safety, durability and prosperity of the home.
This was followed by the egg-stepping ritual: the Bishop and the Vice-Provincial performed it, and their feet were subsequently washed and blessed. This rite symbolises the expulsion of negative spirits, the welcoming of good fortune and the beginning of a new and renewed life.
The celebration continued with a procession accompanied by traditional dances, performed by pupils from the school where the Brothers teach.
At the entrance to the community house, the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony took place, carried out jointly by the Bishop and the Vice-Provincial.
The Eucharist then began, presided over by the Bishop and concelebrated by a dozen priests, including the parish priest of Balai Berkuak. Following the homily, the water and salt were blessed in preparation for the blessing of the two buildings: the community house, blessed by the Bishop in the presence of the Vice-Provincial, and the hostel, blessed by the parish priest of Balai. Inside the community house, the chapel, the new tabernacle, several crosses, liturgical vestments and other devotional objects were also blessed.
The Eucharist continued and, at the end of Communion, various speeches were given: a local chief, the parish priest, another priest, the Vice-Provincial and the Bishop addressed those present. Thanks were given to God, above all, because the day passed without rain and for the festive atmosphere experienced during the inauguration and blessing of the house (“biara”) and the hostel (“asrama”). The Vice-Provincial thanked the Bishop for his presence, but above all for inviting us to begin our Institute’s mission in Borneo; thanks were also given to those who contributed to making the project a success and, in particular, for the financial support of the Italian Episcopal Conference. Around 300 people took part in the celebration, not counting the Brothers from the three communities in Kalimantan. Immediately after the Eucharist, the signing of the commemorative plaques took place: the Bishop, the Vice-Provincial and the local Superior signed two plaques.
After Mass came the time for the fraternal banquet, prepared to share in the joy of the day and to satisfy the hunger that, after several hours of celebration, was already making itself felt. During the meal, a new contract was signed with the Diocese of Ketapang and, furthermore, the Bishop was congratulated on his 59th birthday, celebrated on 5 May.
To round off the day, a short concert was given by a popular singer from Pontianak. Finally, three trees were symbolically planted on the Brothers’ property: one by the Bishop, another by the Vice-Provincial, and the third by a local leader.
