Catholics in Manggarai, Flores, Eastern Indonesia

In comparison with other parts of Indonesia, Catholicism in Manggarai, West Flores, Eastern Indonesia is relatively new. The Divine Missionaries started to introduce Catholic Church at the beginning of 20th century. Only in about thirty years, most of the people had become Catholics. Now, in terms of the number of the Catholics, church buildings, Catholic schools, priests, parishes, and religious congregations, the Church of Manggarai (with apostolic administration's name, the Diocese of Ruteng) has become the biggest Church in Indonesia. This book studies on the development of Catholicism in Manggarai during the 20th century; the process by which Catholicization relate to local religion, politics and identity; the perception of Manggarai Catholic to Catholicism; and the main problems and struggles that confronted Manggaraian the politics of conversion and transformation to be a vastly Catholic land in the contemporary time.