1996 INDONESIA

Collected this card when purchased a big box of stamps, it was mixed together with those stamps. Postal Mark stated from Indonesia sent to Singapore in 1996, a Roman Catholic Cathedral located at Jakarta...

 Discovery Location: Seremban N.Sembilan, Malaysia

 

Jakarta Cathedral (Indonesian: Gereja Katedral Jakarta) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is Gereja Santa Maria Pelindung Diangkat Ke Surga (from Dutch, De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming, in English: The Church of our Lady of Assumption). This current cathedral was consecrated in 1901 and built in the neo-gothic style, a common architectural style to build churches at that time. The Jakarta Cathedral is located in Central Jakarta near Merdeka Square and Merdeka Palace, it is stood right in the front of Istiqlal Mosque.

The literal translation of the church is "Saint Mary Assumed to Heaven" or for short "St. MATH".

HISTORY

After the arrival of VOC in 1619, catholic church was banned in the East Indies and only survived in Flores and Timor islands. The Netherlands was known to support Protestanism and tried to limit the influence and authority of Papal Vatican. During Napoleonic War The Netherlands was fell under French Empire, including its possession, the colony of Dutch East Indies. In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte installed his catholic younger brother Lodewijk (Louis Napoleon) as the king of The Netherlands. Since then the catholic church are free to operate in East Indies.

The Commissary General of Batavia 1825-1830 Du Bus de Gisignies was credited to provides land to build the first catholic church in Batavia. The former residence of General de Kock in Weltevredeen area was renovated to be a church. Monseigneur Prinsen blessed and inaugurate the church in 6 November 1829 and named "Saint Mary Ascend to Heaven". In 1859 the church was undergone renovation, however in 9 April 1890 the church was collapsed.

The present church was the rebuilded one constructed around 1891 to 1901. Pastor Antonius Dijkmans, SJ was appointed as the architect. The construction was halted because the lack of funding. The church new bishop Mgr E. S. Luypen, SJ, raised the fund in The Netherlands and the architect MJ Hulswit continued the construction in 1899. "De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrowe ten Hemelopneming - The Church of Saint Mary Ascend to Heaven" was blessed and inaugurated by Mgr Edmundus Sybrandus Luypen, SJ in 21 April 1901. In 1988 and 2002 the church was undergone renovations, today The Jakarta Cathedral is one of the most beautiful historical buildings in Jakarta.