Did you know Gereja Katolik Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi in Batam began as part of another parish? It shows how much the Catholic community grew here. Let’s step back in time to uncover its story.
In the early days the faithful in Batu Aji were part of Paroki Santo Petrus Lubukbaja. Batam was booming. New industries drew people here. The population grew rapidly. Batu Aji became a densely populated area. It was designated for housing.
The existing parish struggled to serve everyone. A new parish was needed. So on November 1 2003 Paroki Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi Tembesi was formed. It would serve Catholics in Batu Aji and surrounding areas. This included Tembesi Batuaji Rempang Galang and Tanjung Uncang. Mgr Hilarius Moa Nurak SVD Bishop of Pangkalpinang dedicated it. Gereja Katolik Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi became the third parish on Batam Island.
The new parish grew quickly. Each year the community added about 1000 members. This was due to people moving to the area and growing faith. The church building in Tembesi became too small. They needed a larger space.
On November 1 2013 a new church building was consecrated. It was located in Kavling Sumber Jaya Sagulung. The Vatican’s Ambassador to Indonesia Mgr Antonio Guido Filipazzi dedicated it. This new church provided a much-needed space for the growing congregation of Gereja Katolik Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi.
Gereja Katolik Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi also includes several smaller chapels. These chapels hold regular services. Kapela St Dominikus Kapling Lama is one. So is Kapela St Fransiskus Kapling Baru. You will also find Kapela St Yosafat Dapur 12 here. Other chapels include Kapela St Maria Bintang Laut Taroka and Kapela St Benediktus Sagulung. Kapela St Bibiana Dapur 3 and Kapela St Yoseph Sembur are also part of the parish. Finally there is Kapela Teluk Paku.
Today Gereja Katolik Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi is a vibrant center of faith. It has about 12000 members. Two priests serve the parish. One of them is R.D. Emanuel Vengi Nivak. It stands as a testament to the growth of the Catholic community in Batam. Gereja Katolik Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi continues to serve its members. It also performs daily Mass Monday through Saturday. Additional services are on Sunday.