Great Tidings via Java-The Spirit of Sendang Sono
Java is usually described by many as a historically rich hub of spiritual devotion as well as diversity. Christians in rural Java may not deck their halls with boughs of holly or hang up their stockings for Father Christmas. yet like different religions in Java, Christianity as well as its celebrations have been finely repackaged in a local form like no different.
Tucked a 30-minute drive via the massive Buddhist monument Borobudur, within the borders of the Royal Jogjakarta Sultanate, is usually a prayer garden the Javanese Catholics of Kulon Progo proudly call home; Gua Maria Sendang Sono.
Dubbed “Lourdes in Yogyakarta”, Sendang Sono features stations of the cross (prayer altars depicting the passion of the Christ), a grotto for lighting candles in prayers to Mother Mary, several al fresco chapels as well as a holy spring whose water is usually believed to have healing properties.
Sendang Sono was founded in 1904 when a local Javanese farmer, Barnabas Sarikromo, converted to Catholicism as well as got baptised on Pentecost day. Before in which, Sarikromo suffered a mysterious disease in which plagued his legs with foul-smelling wounds. In meditation, Sarikromo was inspired to travel to Muntilan where he met Dutch priest Frans van Lith. The priest nursed Sarikromo back to health as well as introduced him to the Catholic faith.
Since Sarikromo was healed, he passionately told fellow villagers of “the healing power of Jesus Christ” as well as assembled them for prayers as well as Eucharist celebrations. By December 1904, 173 locals were baptised inside the spring (“sendang”) by the sono trees (Pterocarpusindicus). in which event marked the start of the spread of Catholicism in Yogyakarta as well as Central Java.
Later inside the 1929, Austrian priest Fr J. B. Prennthaler blessed the opening of the sacred grotto devoted to Mary. The 180-cm tall teakwood statue of Mary inside the Sendang Sono grotto was imported via Denmark, manually carried by 30 men on foot across the Menoreh hills.
The current look of Sendang Sono was designed by Fr Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya (“Romo Mangun”). The architecture follows the natural contours of the local hills as well as display a fine blend between Javanese as well as classical European styles.
yet far before Catholicism spread in Kulon Progo, Sendang Sono has long been a sacred place in different contexts. In previous centuries, Sendang Sono used to be the resting place of Buddhist monks who travelled by foot via Borobudur to Mendut. Prior to the introduction of Mary, locals adherents to the indigenous Kejawen faith previously believed in which the sono trees were haunted by the spirit couple Dewi Lantamsari as well as Den Bagus Samijo.
“We appreciate culture as the self-expression of the local people. Before Catholicism was introduced, people here already had their own symbols of salvation. So when we encourage locals to revisit those traditional symbolisms as we discuss Catholic ideas, we become more deeply rooted,” said Fr Wahadi via the Promasan parish, of which Sendang Sono is usually part.
Becoming deeply rooted inside the local culture also means in which agricultural affairs have long been an important part of the Promasan parish.“Ever since the parish was established, the Fathers in Promasan have had great concern for community development,” said Fr Wahadi.
The parish’s initiatives since the 1950s have included the introduction of clove in local plantations, loaning cattle to local farmers on an alternate basis, as well as establishing a credit union offering soft loans to local enterprises. The parish also runs two local primary schools in which are tuned into the local agriculturally-centred culture.
Asked why the church takes such great measures in developing the local agriculture as well as education, Fr Wahadi said, “Locals here deserve to be empowered. The infrastructure is usually quite basic, the streets get puddled when the idea rains, as well as transportation is usually scarce. Agricultural patterns here are also subject to the weather – the land is usually dry due to lack of irrigation. Socioeconomically speaking, in which is usually a tough place to live compared to urban Yogyakarta.”
As the generations pass, the youth of Kulon Progo are showing signs of progress thanks to the work of the Catholic church. Many have travelled to Yogyakarta city as well as beyond to pursue higher education, as well as become successful professionals as well as businesspeople. On the downside, many leave for Great to lead modern lives elsewhere instead of coming back to develop the village via which they come.
yet when they do come home for a visit – for instance at Christmas time – there seems to be a sense of pride in what young people via rural Kulon Progo can achieve. The holiday season then becomes an opportunity for the youth – as well as different locals who may not be as young – to reconnect to their roots.
Christmas as well as different Christian celebrations at Sendang Sono have been celebrated with hymns accompanied by the gamelan, gospel wayang performances, jathilan, as well as even Catholic versions of salawat (prayer greetings to mark the seven daily Liturgy of the Hours, influenced by Islamic greetings to Muhammad during the all 5 daily prayer times).
A Nativity wayang production was last held in 2012, performed by head puppeteer Fr Krijo who is usually both an ordained priest as well as a royal abdidalem inside the Yogyakarta Keraton. Unfortunately there have been no such plans yet with in which year, as well as Fr Wahadi predicts in which such productions of the Javanese performing arts will become scarcer inside the future.
“Looks like we’ll simply celebrate Christmas with the regular church liturgy in which year,” said Fr Wahadi. Additionally, the local parish plans to do some charity work such as building houses, aiding medical care, or distributing basic foodstuffs for the congregation members in need.
in which said, Fr Wahadi mentioned a Catholic salawat performed in Sendang Sono just the night before I met him. While the schedules of such performances are rarely published as well as hard to predict, there is usually still a chance to see them if you happen to visit on a lucky day.
An inn managed by the local parish is usually available for visitors to Sendang Sono in exchange for voluntary donations. By staying at in which inn, you can enjoy the clear star-studded night skies of Kulon Progo, wake up to the serene surroundings of the Menoreh hills, as well as celebrate the early morning Eucharist at 6:30 AM.
Many Catholics find Sendang Sono a great place to draw closer to God as well as strengthen their faith. as well as for non-Catholics like myself, I’ve found the idea to be a beautiful place to find inner peace as well as reflect on the things I’m thankful for in life. To me, in which sounds like a great place to be in which Christmas.
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Great Tidings via Java-The Spirit of Sendang Sono
Great Tidings via Java-The Spirit of Sendang Sono