Frans van Lith

Franciscus Georgius Josephus van Lith, SJ or often called Frans van Lith or affectionately Romo van Lith (Javanese:"Father van Lith"), born 17 May 1863 - died 9 January 1926; was a Jesuit priest from Oirschot, Netherlands who pioneered the Catholic mission in Java, especially Central Java.

He baptized the first Javanese at Sendangsono, founded a school for teachers in Muntilan, and fought for the education of Javanese people during the Dutch colonial rule.

He was renowned because of his ability to synchronize Roman Catholic teachings with that of Kejawen so that it could be accepted by the Javanese societies. Today in Eastern and Central java, Catholicism is a religion practised by quite a number of Javanese and people from the Chinese ethnic group.

Pope John Paul II, when giving a speech in Yogyakarta on 10 October 1989, said that he stood on that day at the center of the Island of Java to commemorate those who had laid the foundations of the Catholic people, Father van Lith, SJ and two of his disciples, Mgr Soegijapranata and IJ Kasimo.

Van Lith arrived in Semarang in 1896 to study the culture and customs of Java. He was placed in Muntilan in 1897. He stayed in Desa Semampir at the banks of River Lamat. On 14 December 1904, van Lith baptized 171 villagers from the region of Kalibawang in Sendangsono, Kulon Progo. This event is regarded as the birth of the Church among the Javanese when the 171 people become the first Javanese to embrace Catholicism. The location of the baptism is now the pilgrimage center Sendangsono.

In the small village of Semampir he built a school and a church. He also begun the building of the Catholic school complex in Muntilan, starting with the "Normaalschool" in 1890, a school for teachers or "Kweekschool" in 1904 and then a school for head teachers in 1906. This school for teachers was open for all native Javanese, from all religions. It started with 107 students, 32 of whom are non-Catholics.

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