Fransiskus Santoso

Born Buddhist in Indonesia, later converting to Catholicism, Fransiskus Santoso says his dream is to give back to the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).

 

“I want to be a missionary in Europe, the Netherlands maybe, because we used to have a lot of missionaries from Netherlands in Indonesia,” he said. “I think this is the right time to give back.”

 

Fransiskus says Divine Providence has called him to this service and the hand of God touched his life early. Even though his family was Buddhist, they sent him to a Catholic school and he was later baptized into the faith. From that point on, he had a desire to become a priest. The SVD has four provinces in Indonesia and approximately one in five SVDs worldwide is an Indonesian. That was a presence that impressed him.

 

He eventually moved to the United States and worked in New York City for eight years. All the time, he felt the subtle touch of Jesus in his life. A year ago, he decided to take the step toward the priesthood. He placed a call to the North American headquarters of the SVD in Techny, Illinois and was put in contact with Len Uhal, national vocation director for the order. After completing the paperwork, Fransiskus enrolled at DWC in the fall of 2009 and is now studying in his sophomore year.

 

“This seminary is the best training for the future missionaries. We can respect each other. That’s a basic training for us to become future missionaries,” he said. “Living in a multicultural community is very interesting for me. Students from 14 nationalities. We can celebrate our diversity.”

 

Life is not without its challenges. Learning a new language while exploring his faith, all in new and unfamiliar surroundings can be tough. But Fransiskus said he always knows where to turn.

 

“Every time I have struggle, I go to the Chapel and ask, ‘Is this your way for me?’” he said. “Whenever I do this, I feel that this is the right place for me. I am sure that I want to become a missionary priest.”

 

Over the course of his first year, Fransiskus has built a support system. There’s his spiritual director and formation group that helps with his faith journey. He has gained many friends among the religious Sisters who face many of the same challenges he does. He has joined the Friends Across Nations (FAN) Club, and was taken in by perhaps the longest-standing FAN Club parents, Larry and Donna Clements who help him experience American culture.

 

When times do get tough, Fransiskus recalls the words of Fr. Ken Hamilton, SVD, a DWC graduate who conducted the Day of Recollection in February.

 

“Fr. Ken told us that his mother always said, ‘Just pray, baby. Just pray.’ So whenever I have a difficult time, every time I am sad, or struggle here, I just pray and put everything in His hands.”

 

And let Divine Providence guide him as it has all his life.