On September 29, 2019 in Surabaya, Indonesia, blessing of the St. John Paul II Church and opening of the museum dedicated to the great Pope took place. Bishop Vincentius Sutikno Wisaksono, from the Surabaya diocese along with Archbishop Petrus Turang, Bishop Petrus C. Mandagi and Bishop Silvester Tung Kiem San blessed and consecrated the Church. Many priests, nuns, representatives of the government and a lot of faithful people participated in the ceremony. The John Paul II Foundation was represented by Fr. Krzysztof Wieliczko, Administrator of the Foundation who accepted the invitation from Mrs. Melinda Tedja. The Church and the museum were designed by Alex Bayusaputro, famous architect from Singapore.
It is the first Church in the Indonesia which was built in the mall (shopping center). The leading thought behind creating a Church in the shopping center was to provide a chance to participate in the Mass and to meet and learn about the Saint Pope. John Paul II visited Indonesia in 1989. From that pilgrimage, Mrs. Melinda Tedja remembers the great smile and enormous goodness of the Pope. Subsequent visits and meeting with John Paul II at the Vatican touched a lot Melinda and Alexander. Thus, they got this idea to build a Church dedicated to St. John Paul II and to create a museum of this great Pope. This was an expression of gratitude from Mrs. Melinda and a way of passing to the next generations the message of total entrustment to God and sacrifice to the other man.
The statue of St. John Paul II was made in Poland and placed in the sanctuary of the Church. All memorabilia located in the museum were provided from the private collection of Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, Chairman of the Administrative Board of the John Paul II Foundation, as well as from the archives of the Foundation Secretariat. The relics of the blood of Pope John Paul II were given by Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko and placed in a special reliquary located in the sanctuary of the Church. A local priest of the Diocese of Surabaya was appointed as the curator of the Church – St. John Paul II Sanctuary. For this celebration, special billboards informing about this great event were prepared and located in various parts and regions of the city. On a daily basis, around thousand people visit the Church.
