Father Adrianus Herry Wijayanto, S.J., passed away due to illness on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 7:57 p.m. at the University of Indonesia Hospital in Depok at the age of 60. Father Adrianus Herry Wijayanto, S.J.—affectionately known as Father Herry—was a dedicated Jesuit priest whose ministry left a profound impact on thousands of lives. Best known for his vibrant work in youth ministry, he spent decades guiding young souls as a dynamic campus minister and retreat director. Beyond his dedication to the next generation, Father Herry was also a deeply compassionate parish priest, serving faithfully as an associate pastor across various communities.
Early Life and Spiritual Foundations
Father Herry’s spiritual journey began in Cimahi, West Java, where he was born on January 11, 1966, to Mr. Leo Agung Soegiman and Mrs. Lucia Maria Tukirah. He was baptized at St. Ignatius Church in Cimahi, a parish within the Diocese of Bandung. It was also at St. Ignatius where he received the Sacrament of Confirmation in November 1974, sealing his lifelong commitment to the faith. Father Herry completed his primary and secondary education over 12 years (1973–1985) in the cities of Cimahi and Bandung, forming the foundational values that would later guide his vocation.
The Path to the Society of Jesus
Though he felt a strong calling to join the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), Father Herry waited three years after graduating high school to apply. Upon acceptance, he officially entered the St. Stanislaus Novitiate on July 5, 1988. Two years later, on July 8, 1990, he pronounced his first vows and was immediately assigned to a four-year philosophical formation (1990–1994) at the prestigious Driyarkara College of Philosophy in Jakarta.
Following his philosophical studies, Father Herry entered his regency formation from 1994 to 1996, a formative period he spent at the Civita Youth Camp—a place that would become a cornerstone of his later ministry. He then moved to Yogyakarta to complete his theological formation from 1996 to 1999 at the Wedabhakti Faculty of Theology at Sanata Dharma University.
Ordination and Final Vows
Father Herry’s transition into holy orders began on April 4, 1999, when he was ordained as a deacon by Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo at the Chapel of Saint Paul’s Major Seminary in Kentungan. Three months later, on July 14, 1999, Archbishop Suharyo ordained him to the priesthood at the Church of Saint Antonius Padua in Yogyakarta.
As a priest, Father Herry continued to deepen his spiritual formation. Eight years after his ordination, he entered the Jesuit tertianship program at Stanislaus College, spending six months (February 1 – July 31, 2007) under the spiritual guidance of Father Josephus Darminta, S.J. Ultimately, on December 8, 2012, Father Herry pronounced his final vows as a spiritual coadjutor before the Provincial at the time, Father Robertus Bellarminus Riyo Mursanto, S.J., cementing his eternal devotion to the Lord and the Society of Jesus.
Post-ordination apostolic services
Throughout his ministry, Father Adrianus served in numerous leadership and pastoral roles, beginning as the Deputy Director of the Panti Semedi Retreat House in Klaten from 1999 to 2001. He then moved to Civita Youth Camp, where he served as Deputy Director from 2001 to 2002 and later as Director from 2002 to 2011, while concurrently serving on the Vocation Promotion Commission until 2012. He spent the next decade in Jakarta, providing pastoral assistance at St. John the Evangelist Church in Blok B from 2011 to 2014, then serving as its Associate Parish Priest from 2014 to 2021, while also serving as Minister of the Apostolic Community of Miguel Pro from 2015 to 2021. Most recently, he served as Campus Minister at Kolese de Britto High School in Yogyakarta from 2021 to 2025, before undertaking his final assignment in 2025 as the Assistant Pastor of the Student Apostolate of the South Unit of KAJ in Depok, where he remained until his passing.
Throughout his life, Father Herry was deeply loved for his kind and generous heart, always stepping up to help anyone in need. In recent years, his health began to decline as diabetes took a toll on his body, making it increasingly difficult for him to walk. On the evening of Thursday, June 18, 2026, he began having severe trouble breathing and was rushed to the University of Indonesia Hospital, where he peacefully passed away.
Requiem Mass and Burial
A Requiem Mass will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., followed by burial at the Mary Queen of Peace Cemetery Garden, Stanislaus College, Girisonta.
