In the afternoon of 14 August 2024, His Excellency, Most Rev. Agustinus Agus of the Archdiocese of Pontianak, Indonesia, was received in the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic by Br. Filemon de la Cruz Jr., OP, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines.
Born in Lintang, Sanggau, West Kalimantan, on 22 October 1949, Abp. Agus was ordained priest on 19 June 1977 and then bishop on 6 February 2000. With the motto “Instaurare Omnia in Christo” (To restore everything in Christ), he was appointed bishop of Sintang before becoming archbishop of Pontianak on 3 June 2014. For many years, he has collaborated closely with the Dominican friars both in Indonesia and in the Philippines.
As the local Church gets ready to welcome Pope Francis to the country in September, Abp. Agus stands as another gift to the Order in Indonesia where the Province of the Philippines first preached in the country 30 years ago, eventually celebrating the ordination of the first two Indonesian Dominican friars in 2005. Today, the Order is present in Pontianak and Surabaya with apostolic works in the parish, education, and diocesan seminary formation.
