ASIA/INDONESIA – Missionary October and the fight against malnutrition

Jakarta – The Missionary month of October in Indonesia’s vast archipelago was marked by two initiatives for young people and young adults, both coordinated by the Pontifical Mission Societies : the “Missionary School for Adolescents” and the “School of Missionary Animators.” It was also marked by a commitment to the fight against malnutrition and hunger.
“By 2025, over 1,400 missionary animators across the country will have completed this training and will be working like leaven in the various dioceses and regions of Indonesia,” Father Alfonsus Widhiwiryawan, Xaverian missionary and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Indonesia, told Fides. These initiatives were conceived and organized based on a conviction: “We are all called to be witnesses of hope and faith, and young people can also be missionaries among their peers,” affirms Father Widhiwiryawan, who has called upon the young people to be “bearers of hope and joy of the Gospel in everyday life and also in the digital world,” an area in which Indonesian teenagers are very active. “Through participation in training courses and reflection sessions,” the director explains, “young people prepare themselves and develop the awareness to become heralds of the Gospel in their surroundings—in their families, schools, and communities.
Father Widhiwiryawan tells Fides about the national celebration held in the diocese of Sibolga, on the island of Sumatra, which was “a vibrant witness of faith and missionary commitment.” Bishop Aloysius Maryadi Sutrisnaatmaka, MSF, of Palangka Raya, Chairman of the Missionary Commission of the Indonesian Episcopal Conference, called on the faithful at the solemn Mass for World Mission Sunday to “be pilgrims of hope in Indonesia, to walk together and carry the light of Christ into all areas of life and society.” “In this Jubilee Year,” Bishop Sutrisnaatmaka said, “we are pilgrims of hope when we go beyond ourselves: Mission is not a duty or a burden, but a joyful giving of love and faith to the world.” The bishop reminded the faithful that missionary work “is not reserved for priests or religious, but is the vocation of every baptized person.” “We are all missionaries,” he said, “because we are called to proclaim the love of Christ through our good works. And through these works, we reveal the face of God to others.” “Mission,” he concluded, “begins with two essential attitudes: first, the courage to leave one’s comfort zone, and second, a heart that is ready to share, to give generously, and to do good for others.”
In this spirit, for the third consecutive year, World Mission Sunday in Indonesia coincided with World Food Day, with the faithful also reflecting on the problems of hunger and malnutrition that persist in the country despite progress in the fight against food insecurity.
In the Global Hunger Index 2025, Indonesia ranks 70th out of 123 countries with a “moderate” level of hunger: 6.3% of the population is undernourished, and access to food is particularly limited in rural areas, resulting in 2.1% of children dying from malnutrition before their fifth birthday. The simultaneous celebration of World Mission Sunday and World Food Day is an opportunity for Catholic communities in Indonesia to pray, engage, and take action to contribute to the fight against hunger and malnutrition in various regions.