Study tour Indonesia 2007

Social and Economic Pastoral Ministries in the past and recent years

In the past and recent years, all Dioceses and parishes have developed a new pastoral ministry, one among various commissions, known as Social and Economic Commission. The so-called commission seems to coordinate and to continue various development works of the Church in the past:

- Education (schooling): hundreds of primary and secondary schools, high schools, vocational schools and tertiary educations.

- Health projects: hundreds of clinics, hospitals, education for nurses, family planning education etc.

- Agricultural centres and workshops: centres for educating young carpenters and house builders in Ruteng, Ende and Larantuka. Agricultural centres all over Flores where they teach young people how to be professional farmers.

- Mass media and communication: publishing houses of Nusa Indah and Ledalero, daily and weekly newspapers (Dian, Kunang-Kunang, Flores Post).

- Social and economic projects: individual missionaries’ work. Projects such as Credit Union Movement in all of Flores and Yayasan Pembangunan (Development Foundation) in Sikka district which especially involved in terracing, reforestation, and green peace projects.

- Transport and communication: once the Archdiocese of Ende owned a ship, which served the need of the people in travelling and shipping from Flores to Java and vice versa.