A group of Catholic professionals and businesses in the Indonesian capital Jakarta staged a Christmas concert on December 10 for the benefit of an indigenous community in a remote village of Papua.

The musical event titled “The Magic of Christmas” was sponsored by the Profesional Usahawan Katolik Keuskupan Agung Jakarta, or Pukat Kaj, in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, and aimed to raise funds for the Diocese of Agats’ program to send young Asmat people to school.

The project is an initiative of the Archdiocese of Jakarta’s Humanitarian Committee for Agats Diocese that has been helping young Asmat people earn a degree in education.

At least 36 Asmat young people have finished their studies in Java and have since returned to their villages to teach.

“We are certainly very grateful for the huge generosity of the Jakarta Archdiocese through Pukat Kaj and PPKA that have always provided special funds to my Asmat congregation in the field of education,” said Bishop Aloysius Murwito of Agats.

He said the financial assistance also benefits the studies of major seminarians and the vocational training centers in the diocese.

The prelate said Pukat Kaj “is more than a resourceful partner … it is our angel as our pastoral works can run with their aid.”