Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, Denpasar, Bali

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Place
  • Name: Gereja Yesus Gembala yang Baik (Jesus the Good Shepherd)
  • Archive Type: Place
  • Winning Designer: Elly and Kiam, 2003.
  • Authorized: Banjar Adat dan Kepala Dusun Umasari (Customary Office and Village Chief), Denpasar, Bali, October 2004.
  • Groundbreaking: May 2, 2005
  • Conclusion and Blessing: September 12, 2011
  • Available File(s): Photos
  • Keywords: Catholic church, Hindu temple, Tri Hita Karana, Tri Mandala, Asta Kosala Kosali, Bali tourism, harmony, interreligious relations, Servatius Subhaga
  • Link: https://wipfandstock.com/9781579105228/compassionate-and-free/

Gereja Paroki Santo Yoseph (St. Joseph Parish) under the lead of Fr. Servatius Subhaga, SVD, the first Balinese indigenous bishop, once reflected on their calling in the global and local contexts when they considered looking for a new space in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. They sought God’s wisdom for what they had to do on the provided 3700 square meters of land assets. In October 2004, they ended up starting the construction of a building whose architecture represents the mixture of Christian narratives and Hindu-Balinese values. Fr. Subhaga explained, “Since we build in Bali, then Balinese culture must not be left out” (Soenaryo et. al., 2019, 167). The building itself is named Gria Bhakti Pastoral (Pastoral Care House).

In Bali, there are Tri Mandala (three zones) principles: Nista (outermost), Madya (middle/intermediate), and Utama (innermost) which are common in most Balinese architecture. There is also an emphasis on making the people aware of the cardinal directions. There is a common understanding that the mountain is a place (Sana) for the deity. Lastly, there is an idea that life is possible because of harmony and cosmic balance as represented in the philosophy of Asta Kosala Kosali–this is why the blending between concrete, green space, and water is profound in the entire building.

Fr. Subhaga, the winning designers, and the parish ministers reflected on all those principles and attempted to reinterpret them through Christian imaginations and values. For example, at the entrance of the building, from the street, they build stairs that lead the congregation up like a mountain. Three symbols of life are placed here: the living water, the word, and the stairs. They knew that there had to be statues resembling Balinese temples but they then substituted the statues with Christian figures and angels.

Fr. Subhaga affirmed, “All the design correspond to the philosophy of Asta Kosala Kosali that is common in Balinese architecture and statues … in addition to Tri Mandala philosophy” (Soenaryo et. al., 2019, 168). Banjar Adat dan Kepala Dusun Umasari (Customary Office and Village Chief), Denpasar, Bali, recommended and authorized this design before the start of the construction. This building gained more attention because the conclusion was celebrated with the ceremony of Melaspas, a traditional Hindu-Balinese ceremony of entering a new building, led directly by Hindu religious leaders and fully accompanied by facilitations, ornaments, and tools of Hindu-Balinese religious rites. Attending the ceremony, Bali Governor, I Made Mangku Pastika, testified that this building represents “tolerance, harmony, and concord” among all people in Bali.

Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish architecture challenges the common Eurocentric Christian valorization of purity and phobia of syncretism. Moreover, the resemblance of cosmic balance and the taste of close living in nature symbolizes the common ways of life in Bali, as appearing in Tri Hita Karana (Three Causes of Well-Being), namely, the harmony with God, with people, and with nature. As many Balinese people have felt, all of these principles have currently been threatened by the tourism industry and capitalism.

Photo(s)

Front Gate, courtesy of Jesus the Good Shepherd Church
Easter Ceremony, April 11, 2017, courtesy of Jesus the Good Shepherd Church
Worship Room Entrance, courtesy of Ricardo Cinema
Stairs to the Worship Room, courtesy of Ricardo Cinema
Inside look, courtesy of Ricardo Cinema
The pulpit and the ceiling interior, courtesy of Jesus the Good Shepherd Church
Jesus and the Samaritan wall art, courtesy of Ricardo Cinema
Jesus and the angels statues that mimic Hindu temple, courtesy of Ricardo Cinema
Veneration of Mary that mimics Hindu site of offerings, courtesy of Ricardo Cinema

Source(s)

Written by Abel K. Aruan (November 13, 2024); Edited by Abel K. Aruan (January 8, 2025).

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