Papuans in Indonesia seek to honor missionary priest
Bishops urged to mark the Church s arrival in the region 127 years ago by declaring Catholic Mission Day
Jesuit Father Cornelis Le Cocq d Armanville was the first missionary priest in Papua. (Photo: mshkatolikpapua)
The Catholic Church in Papua celebrates 127 years this year, prompting a call for May 22 to be declared Catholic Mission Day to mark the anniversary of the arrival of the first missionary in the Indonesian region.
Father Cornelis Le Cocq d’Armanville, a Dutch Jesuit missionary priest, arrived in Indonesia’s easternmost region on May 22, 1894, to introduce Catholicism to local people.