The Catholic Church of St. Athanasius the Great Karangpanas Semarang, A Journey of Faith and Service
theolingua.id – The history of Karangpanas Parish is inseparable from that of Gedangan Parish, which played a role in the early development of the Catholic community in this region. One of the main factors that encouraged the establishment of Karangpanas Parish was the existence of St. Vincentius Orphanage, which was managed by the OSF Gedangan sisters under the Stichting Rooms Katolik Weeshuis, which later became the Catholic Orphanage Foundation.
In 1912, the foundation began building a new orphanage in the Candi Lama area of Karangpanas. Initially, this building was designed for girls, but was later converted into an orphanage for boys. The building was completed on 1 May 1915, and on 15 June 1915, the CSA brothers and their foster children moved into the premises.
The orphanage complex, including the Sacred Heart Chapel of Karangpanas, was inaugurated by Mgr. Luypen SJ on 26 September 1915. The first priest to live in the complex was Father Hoevenaars SJ, who acted as director of the orphanage as well as parish priest. Since 1915, there has been a baptismal book, while marriage books began to be recorded in 1937.
The Jesuit Period
The first baptism recorded in the Liber Baptismi took place on 13 June 1915 in the name of Thelma, the child of Leopaldo Eresto Silvio Catalani and Cisira Zelia Rita Heyneman, who was baptised by Father Hoevenaars SJ. Meanwhile, the first indigenous baptism was recorded on 19 December 1924 under the name Fransiscus Waloejo Haryadi, who was baptised by Father J. Sevink SJ.
Before the 1950s, the Karangpanas Church was known as Grejane Landa because it was dominated by people of European descent. Indigenous people from southern Semarang had to go to St. Yusup Gedangan Church by tram from the Metro station (now Metro Square).
However, after Indonesian independence, the composition of the congregation changed, and this church developed into a church for Indonesian people. This process was slow, as evidenced by the church’s announcement that until 1957 it still used Dutch and Javanese.
In 1960, the number of Karangpanas parishioners was still limited, with one neighbourhood covering several villages at the same time. The spirit of togetherness among the congregation was evident in various activities, such as rosary prayers and neighbourhood masses which strengthened the Christian brotherhood.
SJ Provincialate in Karangpanas
In 1949, the Indonesian Jesuit leadership (Superior Missionis) moved to the Karangpanas rectory. The director of the orphanage at that time did not always serve as the parish priest. However, from 1958, the situation changed when the orphanage closed and the school complex began to develop. In 1962, the provincialate moved to Karangpanas and remained there until 1989, before finally settling on Jalan Argopuro.
On 18 August 1964, the Archbishop of Semarang, Mgr. Justinus Darmojuwono, founded the Catholic Church Foundation under the name of Church Management and the Poor Catholic Room Papa in the Region of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Karangpanas Semarang. The foundation aims to promote religious life and help the poor. Father L. Moerabi was appointed as the chairman of the foundation, with several other members participating in its management.
Construction of the Chapels
The Nurani Foundation was established on 1 January 1967 as a result of a meeting of Catholics in the Jangli area. Initially, the kindergarten established by the foundation had difficulty finding a place. However, in 1970, with the help of Father W.T.M. Bleys SJ, the foundation managed to buy a house which was later used as a chapel. The chapel was blessed on 2 November 1986 by the Archbishop of Semarang, Mgr. Yulius Darmaatmaja SJ.
The first Catholic religion lesson was given in Srondol on 25 June 1968 by Ign Sardjono. The first baptism in this area was carried out on 11 October 1970. The construction of the chapel began on 8 May 1970 and was blessed on 13 October 1970 by Father C. Carri SJ. This chapel was later upgraded to St. Maria Fatima Srondol Church with an area covering the Brigif dormitory, the Brimob dormitory, and Ngesrep.
In 1976, due to the construction of the Srondol-Jatingaleh arterial road, the chapel was evicted. The congregation then held masses in houses, including at Mr Paijan’s house, which could accommodate 150–200 people.
Expansion of Banyumanik Parish
As the number of parishioners increased, especially in the Banyumanik housing estate, the Papa Miskin Foundation of Karangpanas Parish immediately looked for a location to build a new chapel. This step marked the beginning of the expansion of Banyumanik Parish.
The history of Karangpanas Parish reflects the development of the Catholic Church in Semarang, from a small community that began at St. Vincentius Orphanage to a large parish with various chapels and active parishioner services. With a spirit of togetherness and service, this parish continues to grow to realise Christian values in the lives of its parishioners.
