Frans van Lith

Today in Eastern and Central java, Catholicism is a religion practised by quite a number of Javanese and people from the Chinese ethnic group.

Pope John Paul II, when giving a speech in Yogyakarta on 10 October 1989, said that he stood on that day at the center of the Island of Java to commemorate those who had laid the foundations of the Catholic people, Father van Lith, SJ, and two of his disciples, Mgr Soegijapranata and IJ Kasimo.

On 14 December 1904, van Lith baptized 171 villagers from the region of Kalibawang in Sendangsono, Kulon Progo.

In 1911 the Mertoyudan Seminary was officially founded, the first in Indonesia, built in part because some of the school's alumni wanted to become priests.

The small church and school at Semampir would then develop into a complex of buildings, which was named Kolese Franciscus Xaverius in 1911.

He was also recommended as member of the "Volksraad" (People's Council) by the Sarekat Islam Party, led by van Lith's close friend, K.H.

In 1924 van Lith finally returned and chose to stay in Semarang, establishing a Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS) and a "Standaardschool" while teaching Jesuit novices.