{"id":196887,"date":"2024-08-20T21:37:42","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T19:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/?p=196887"},"modified":"2024-09-17T13:26:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T11:26:38","slug":"dimas-kusuma-seminarista-indonesia-testimonio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/dimas-kusuma-seminarista-indonesia-testimonio\/","title":{"rendered":"Dimas, a seminarian from Indonesia, tells how his mother, a Muslim, converted"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dimas Kusuma Wijaya is a young seminarian from Indonesia who is in Pamplona studying at the University of Navarra. <a href=\"http:\/\/unav.edu\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"unav.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Navarra<\/a> and resides and is trained at the International Seminar of <a href=\"https:\/\/seminariobidasoa.org\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/seminariobidasoa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bidasoa<\/a>. He welcomes us with a smile as we have an interview about his life, his family and his call to vocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MY MOTHER, A MUSLIM, CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM AND NOW I WANT TO BECOME A PRIEST.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_JTzUhY-SpQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One seminarian in a family of thirteen Muslim siblings&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\"<\/strong>Indonesia is one of the countries in the world with the largest number of Muslims. My mother comes from a large Muslim family, her parents and thirteen siblings. When she met my father, she felt a call to convert to Christianity.<strong>\"<\/strong>says Dimas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminarista-indonesia-familia-dimas.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-196914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminarista-indonesia-familia-dimas.jpg 800w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminarista-indonesia-familia-dimas-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminarista-indonesia-familia-dimas-768x595.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminarista-indonesia-familia-dimas-15x12.jpg 15w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During their courtship, her father explained to her how Christians live the Catholic faith. <strong>\"<\/strong>My mother was clearly very excited. On the other hand, when my mother talked to her father, my grandfather, he told her something very nice: if you have met another religion that is good, you have to go deeper into it. My grandfather supported and respected my mom.<strong>\"<\/strong>says this Indonesian seminarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">At the age of 8, after marrying her father<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2000, eight years after marrying her father, her mother converted to Christianity. <strong>\"<\/strong>It was a great moment, a great impact on her life because from that moment on, now a Catholic, she made an effort to live as a good Christian. She was very happy and content. <strong>And he truly felt that this religion is the true<\/strong>. Because in the end, the encounter with Jesus, the Son of God, was changing his life and his way of seeing life and the family.<strong>\"<\/strong>says Dimas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also explains that it took him eight years to convert because his parents worked from one place to another, and did not have a fixed home. This made it difficult for him to settle in a parish so that his mother could receive catechism classes and doctrinal formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\"My mom's faith has been everything to me.\"<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dimas says that his mother's faith taught him everything. \"Her way of life in a country like <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indonesia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indonesia<\/a>and her example in how she professed her faith, were the seed that ignited my vocation to the priesthood. She taught me to pray every morning and every night. She took me to church, and has always shown me how a Christian should live and how to face challenges. My mom's faith has been everything to me. A faith so alive and real that it has taught me everything.\"&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, his mother is very happy to have a son on the road to the priesthood. In addition, his mother's entire Muslim family, with great respect for one another, supports him in his vocation as a Catholic priest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">As a preadolescent he wanted to change his life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>But he also went through a somewhat rebellious pre-adolescence. \"As a teenager, I wanted to change my life. I didn't want to study, I just wanted to have fun. In short, I did whatever I wanted. And to change all that, I thought the best way was to enter the minor seminary, a place where they would help me to be better. <strong>But, of course, in the end, God not only changed my life but also my vocation.<\/strong>\"he says, impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He recalls the most intense moment of his call, a day when, in front of the Blessed Sacrament, he felt an enormous peace, a great joy in experiencing that God was asking him to give himself to others. At the end, he heard how God called him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"I heard a voice telling me: 'Dimas, there are people who need you and there will be more people who will need you. From that moment of prayer and feeling that I could help others, I wanted to be a priest. I want to be with God and I want to help people in need in all their desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"628\" height=\"837\" data-id=\"196931\" src=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Dimas-Kusuma-Wijaya-indonesia-edited.jpg\" alt=\"Dimas Kusuma Wijaya indonesia\" class=\"wp-image-196931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Dimas-Kusuma-Wijaya-indonesia-edited.jpg 628w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Dimas-Kusuma-Wijaya-indonesia-edited-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Dimas-Kusuma-Wijaya-indonesia-edited-9x12.jpg 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dimas Kusuma Wijaya from Indonesia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A faculty of theology in Surabaya<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, at the age of 15, Dimas entered the minor seminary. At 18, he entered the propaedeutic seminary. And, when he was 20, his bishop sent him to Spain, to the Bidasoa International Seminary to be trained to become a priest in the ecclesiastical faculties of the University of Navarra.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"I have just finished my first course of formation. What my bishop wants is to build up the faculty of theology in Surabaya, my diocese, and so every two years he tries to send seminarians to study in Bidasoa,\" he explains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">His younger brother is a Dominican<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dimas has another younger brother who is a Dominican Ordo Predicatorum seminarian studying philosophy in Manila, Philippines. He also has two older sisters, one married and living in Tokyo and the second sister is a professor of psychology at a university in Jakarta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminaristas-indonesia-familia-dimas.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-196919\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminaristas-indonesia-familia-dimas.jpg 820w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminaristas-indonesia-familia-dimas-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminaristas-indonesia-familia-dimas-768x562.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/seminaristas-indonesia-familia-dimas-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Indonesia, a country with six major religions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How do Catholics live in Indonesia, a country with a large number of Muslims? Is there respect between the confessions? Dimas answers: \"I have to say that right now there is more tolerance among us, but it depends on where the Christians live. There are cities where it is very difficult to build a parish or a church. We also have to take into account that Indonesia is very pluralistic. There are Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, followers of Confucianism and Protestant Christians. Six major religions coexist in Indonesia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/donar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Help young men like Dimas to be formed as priests. Donate now so that no vocation is lost.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Characteristics of a young priest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>He is aware that when he returns to his country, one of the challenges he has to face will be tolerance and respect between religions. And in this journey he has just begun towards the priesthood, he considers that one of the main characteristics that a young priest must have is humility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\"A young priest is like a baby that has just been born.<\/strong>. He has to learn a lot in his priestly vocation. He has to know how to listen to others and above all to listen to God. With humility, one can have a good life, because his ego and his ambition will not direct him, but it will be God himself who will direct and accompany him in his life. Only with humility, a priest can live his priestly vocation very well because then one will experience that in reality God's strength will accompany him in all his pastoral work,\" concludes this young seminarian from Indonesia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C-uS5BWtV2Z\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C-uS5BWtV2Z\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C-uS5BWtV2Z\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared from CARF Foundation (@fundacion_carf).<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marta Sant\u00edn<\/strong>Journalist specializing in religious information.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dimas Kusuma Wijaya, a young seminarian from Indonesia, from the diocese of Surabaya, who introduces himself this way: \"My name is Dimas, like the good thief,\" he says with that smile that characterizes many Asians. He tells us about his life and how his mother, a Muslim, converted to Catholicism.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":719,"featured_media":196913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[190,120,121],"class_list":["post-196887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historias","tag-pamplona","tag-sacerdote","tag-seminarista"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/719"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196887"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":197331,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196887\/revisions\/197331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}