A Constant in Times of Uncertainty
Divine Word Missionaries Respond to Volcanic Eruptions in Indonesia
In the eastern Indonesian province of Flores, two towering volcanoes—Mount Lewotobi Perempuan (“female”) and Lewotobi Laki-Laki (“male”)—have long defined the landscape. But in recent months, Lewotobi Laki-Laki has come to define the lives of thousands of people who live in its shadow.
Since late 2023, a series of powerful eruptions have forced mass evacuations, destroyed homes and churches, and devastated livelihoods in this largely agricultural region. For the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) and the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (SSpS), whose presence in the area stretches back generations, the crisis has been both personal and pastoral.
“The future is unknown,” said Fr. Sonny De Class, SVD, a formator and chaplain at Divine Word College Seminary in Iowa, who is originally from the region. “We don’t know how the people will continue to live or where they’ll go—especially the farmers. We don’t know when the eruptions will stop.”
Eruptions Disrupt Life and Ministry
The first major eruption occurred just before Christmas 2023, displacing thousands. It disrupted the Christmas and New Year celebrations that are normally so important to local communities.
“They were moving around looking for refuge,” said Fr. Aloysius Wuring, SVD, who was serving in the area. “People were not even feeling safe for Easter.”
Then, on March 11, 2024, a massive eruption forced even more people to flee, many to government-run shelters or the homes of relatives in safer areas. A devastating eruption in November 2024 killed at least nine people instantly—including Sr. Nikolin Katharina Pajo, SSpS, who was the superior of the Sanctissima Trinitas community in Hokeng.
The SSpS convent and school in Hokeng were destroyed, as was the SVD minor seminary there. Parish churches, clinics, and homes were damaged or collapsed.
Human Cost Beyond the Physical Damage
For many in Hokeng and surrounding areas, farming is not just work but a way of life. Crops such as coffee, cacao, rice, and bananas support families and communities. But volcanic ash, lava flows, and continued seismic activity have made the land unworkable and inaccessible.
Civil servants and office workers who had to flee can continue their jobs in new places, Fr. Sonny explained. But farmers rely on the land to make their living. When they lose that, they lose their income and their identity.
Months and now years in government-run evacuation centers have been especially hard. Displaced people face not only loss of property but also health problems such as respiratory infections and skin ailments from volcanic ash. Education has been disrupted for local children, risking a generational setback.
Fr. Aloysius noted that with so many people displaced, social problems such as theft and burglary have also increased—adding to the uncertainty and fear.
Faith as a Constant
Amid these challenges, the Divine Word Missionaries and Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters have focused on offering both material aid and spiritual support.
Immediately following the major eruptions, SVD priests helped provide food and short-term relief supplies. But they also recognized that their parish communities had become dispersed. Many Divine Word Missionaries—including Fr. Aloysius—had to relocate themselves, finding ministry assignments in parishes that were considered safer distances from the volcano.
Yet that did not mean abandoning their people. Fr. Sonny described how these missionaries now travel to visit displaced parishioners, celebrate Mass and sacraments, offer counseling, and remind them that even if they have lost their homes and farms, they have not lost their faith.
The missionaries do what they can to visit them, provide counsel, and celebrate Mass and sacraments, he said. In times like this, faith is a much-needed constant.
For the Holy Spirit Sisters, too, ministry continues despite having lost their convent and school. They have joined in caring for displaced families, supporting government and church-run shelters, and walking with people who face an uncertain future. They visit people in their homes and bring them Holy Communion.
Rebuilding, But with Caution
While some families have begun trying to rebuild their homes, many remain wary. The volcano continues to erupt sporadically, sending ash plumes miles into the sky and raining sulfur onto roofs and fields. Fr. Aloysius described how people often cover their roofs with plastic sheeting to protect them from corrosive ash—a small gesture of resilience in the face of overwhelming destruction.
Meanwhile, the question of how long government aid will last looms large. And for the SVD and SSpS, the work of accompaniment—of simply being with people in their suffering and uncertainty—has never felt more urgent.
A Calling to Serve
For the Divine Word Missionaries, this crisis underscores their founding charism: to go where the Gospel is needed most, and to stand in solidarity with those on the margins. Whether through sacramental ministry, education, healthcare, or simply being present in people’s lives, they strive to offer hope in the midst of tragedy.
Click the link to view aerial footage of the region affected by the volcanic eruptions, courtesy of Live Informasi, a source for the latest news updates in the area: Hokeng Jaya Desert Village After Evacuation
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