Around 1,000 members of the Legion of Mary from the Diocese of Larantuka gathered in Lewouran, Indonesia, on 23 October 2026, to pray before the relics of St. Peter. The pilgrimage brought together faithful to connect devotions, confront local hardships, and translate prayer into concrete acts of service.
Pilgrims Journey to Lewouran for St. Peter Relics
On Friday, 23 October 2026, approximately 1,000 members of the Legion of Mary from 21 Curiae across the Larantuka Deanery in East Flores, Indonesia, arrived at St. Peter the Apostle Station Church in the village of Lewouran (Penakatolik). The journey began at the Rosa Mistika Marian Grotto in Stasi Riangbunga, where the participants gathered for the Tesera—the Legion of Mary’s signature prayer—between 08.00 and 10.00 Wita (Penakatolik). Following a Eucharistic celebration and a communal gathering, the large group walked toward the station church in Lewouran.
For the local Catholic community, the arrival of the gathering marked a major milestone. Father Moses emphasized the significance of the event for the residents (Vaticannews).
For the parishioners of Lewotobi, the arrival of these pilgrims is a historic moment. They view today as a deeply meaningful day.
Father Moses
He added that organizing the event required coordination to manage liturgical needs and venue preparations.
Relics Connect the Vatican to a Small Flores Village
The focal point of the gathering was the presence of the relics of St. Peter the Apostle, which were brought from the Vatican to Lewouran by Pater Marco Solo Kewuta, SVD, a native son of the village who works in Rome (Penakatolik). Father Marco’s connection to the village church spans decades. In 2001, he blessed the newly built church building, spontaneously choosing St. Peter as its patron (Vaticannews). Six years later, in 2007, he was called to work in the Vatican near the tomb of St. Peter (Vaticannews). Alongside the relics, he brought a fragment of stone from the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica (Penakatolik).
Sisi Leba, a participant, explained how the dual devotions intertwined during the journey (Vaticannews).
In the Gospels, St. Mary and St. Peter are always close to Jesus and certainly worked together in many ways. Therefore, from Mother Mary we move on to St. Peter.
Sisi Leba
She described the village as a spiritual oasis akin to a small Nazareth—small and modest, yet capable of delivering a profound encounter with faith (Vaticannews). That sense of refuge carried particular weight given the region’s geography. When nearby Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted, the surrounding communities faced severe disruption, but Lewouran was relatively spared from evacuations (Vaticannews). Even so, the village church building was far too small to hold the 1,000 pilgrims, forcing the local community to manage the overflow with limited resources (Penakatolik).
Translating Prayer Into Social Action
Church leaders emphasized that the pilgrimage should extend past emotional or contemplative experiences into daily outreach (Vaticannews). Citing a prayer inscribed at the Porta della Preghiera in St. Peter’s Basilica, Father Marco reminded the assembly that devotion requires tangible outcomes (Vaticannews).
Oh Tuhan, buatlah agar imanku berbuat baik.
Pater Marco Solo Kewuta, SVD
Both Father Marco and Sisi pointed to pressing social vulnerabilities in the area that require direct assistance (Penakatolik).
- Crop failures affecting local farmers
- Orphans and families living in poverty
- The sick, elderly
- Victims of human trafficking
Despite many members being retirees, farmers, or homemakers living on modest incomes, Sisi noted that these economic limitations do not halt their ministry (Vaticannews). Kalis Muda, head of the St. Peter the Apostle Station Church council, summarized the sentiment of the host community (Penakatolik).
The presence of the pilgrims is not merely an ordinary visit, but a profound event of faith that brings joy and a unique sense of pride to the entire congregation.
Kalis Muda, St. Peter Station council head