It gives me great pleasure to share these thoughts or perhaps reflections on this Independence Day of our beloved Republic of Indonesia. I write this out of the conviction that our independence could not have been achieved without those who worked hand in hand and struggled through education; therefore, I believe it is vital for the Catholic Church to take concrete action to ensure the success of education, so that the vision of being “100% Indonesian, 100% Catholic” may be realized.
Please forgive me for writing this piece in English; I am felt proud when Father Martin Eman Ano delivered a homily in English, as well as Father Ardi Marlianto, whose parish regularly offers Mass in English—isn’t that wonderful?
Nowadays, I see many schools competing to provide quality education; signage often highlights “A-rated” accreditation, international standards, or national standards. This appeals to parents, who feel a sense of pride in enrolling their children in such institutions. Schools are viewed as the sole entities responsible for education especially given that parents have become incredibly busy and often lack time for their children.
what about Catholic education? Father Patrisius Woda, who is the chairman of the Insan Mandiri Foundation in Lombok-Sumbawa, in his busy schedule as chairman of the foundation, he always rejoices when he visits our Parish, namely the Santo Yohanes Pemandi Praya Selong Parish, for some time we chatted about Catholic education, what is being planned and what has been implemented, I am certainly proud of his achievements. in RD Woda’s response, education is a form of love itself, love cannot be separated from compassion for realizing humans, or humanizing humans, this responsibility is borne by parents, the state and schools.
Education begins within the family—which also serves as an ecclesia domestica since it originates with parents and the family unit; however, society also bears the responsibility of creating a suitable environment so that what students learn at school is reinforced at home and in their surroundings, given that primary-school-aged children readily imitate both the positive and negative behaviors they witness at home.
The state and schools provide the institutions and continuity needed to educate the students entrusted to them by their parents; following the education provided at home, the process is continued by teachers, who fulfill their role as extensions of both the parents and the state.
We should be grateful that, for the less fortunate, we have mechanisms such as the Education Solidarity Fund and educational scholarships for the underprivileged; this serves as proof of the church’s involvement in realizing our nation’s aspirations. “The keywords of Catholic education are love and compassion; every teacher in a school under a Catholic foundation is required to respect both the shortcomings and the strengths of their students a quality that must be upheld,” said Father Woda.
In closing, I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation for the role of teachersparticularly those at schools under the Insan Mandiri Foundation. From their countless achievements to the alumni making their mark wherever they may be, they stand as a tangible testament to the building of the Indonesia we love.
Y. Wastuwijaya, 17 Agustus 2026
