Sungai Raya – On September 1, 2025, three Salesians—Fr. Adi Prinanto, Fr. Tarsisus Trianto, and Fr. John Laba—officially began their mission in Sungai Raya, near Pontianak, on the island of Borneo, one of the poorest regions in Indonesia.
According to a note published by the Salesians of Don Bosco, the expansion in Borneo began at the invitation of the Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Pontianak, Agustinus Agus. In March 2025, Agus asked the Salesians to take charge of the “Saint Yusuf” Carpentry School, an institution that was once prosperous but had fallen into decline. The Salesians thus assumed management of the school, dormitory, and workshop, with the aim of relaunching their educational and social work in line with their mission of serving the most needy young people. During the signing of the cooperation agreement, Bishop Agus expressed his hope that the Salesians “will restore vitality to the school and offer new opportunities to the young people of West Kalimantan.” The superior of the Salesian Vice-President of St. Luigi Versiglia of Indonesia , Father Prastowo, who accompanied the three confreres, described the new presence as a “beautiful gift for the Church in Indonesia” on the 40th anniversary of the Salesian presence in the country.
The mission in Sungai Raya confirms the steady growth of the Salesian presence in Indonesia since its pioneering beginnings in 1985. What began as an intermediate stopover for the Salesians on their journey to East Timor, in Rajawali Selatan , has today grown into a national network of communities present in North Jakarta, Tangerang, Sumba, East Java, Central Java, Flores, and now also in West Kalimantan. Currently, more than 50 Salesians are serving in Indonesia, while several others are working in mission territories abroad.
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