OLEH: ADE SITI BAROKAHMy Tarawih Prayer in Catholic Vicarage
(Scroll down for English version)
(Scroll down for English version)
Cerita berlanjut. Masih ingat kan bagaimana saya disayangi seorang suster tua di Polandia yang membuatkan saya coklat panas dan biskuit, saat saya berteduh di katedral? Nah ketika tiba di Berlin, saya bertemu dengan Romo (pastor) asal Flores, Indonesia, yang sudah 16 tahun memimpin jemaat di Jerman sini.
Saya panggil beliau Romo Paskalis, pastor kepala di paroki ini. Beliau bukan orang baru buat saya. Kami pernah bertemu di Amerika ketika saya mendapat beasiswa dari pemerintah Amerika dan beliau juga sedang belajar di seminari di kota kecil dimana saya ditempatkan. Waktu itu saya dan mbak Yanti Linehan sempat menghadiri acara di seminari tersebut.
Beliau sekarang kembali ke Jerman. Tapi saya sama sekali tidak tahu kalau beliau di Berlin. Setahu saya beliau di Dresden atau entah dimana. Adalah 'adikku' FraterFransiskus yang menyambungkan kembali dengan Romo Paskalis. Betapa kagetnya saya ketika turun bus dari Polandia beliau sudah menunggu saya di stasiun bus
Niatnya, hari itu saya akan menginap di bandara karena pesawat saya ke Amsterdam sangat pagi. Daripada menginap di hostel mahal dan pagi kerepotan ke bandara lebih baik menunggu pesawat di bandara kan seperti biasa? Tapi Romo tidak sependapat. Menurutnya terlalu riskan untuk saya bermalam di sana.
Lalu dengan sangat baik hati beliau meminta saya bermalam di pastoran. Melihat keraguan saya, beliau bilang, "Jangan khawatir, ada banyak kamar untuk para tamu (guest house) dan jangan dibayangkan hanya ada pastor di situ".
Kawasan pasturan sangat indah, teduh dan luas. Ada gereja besar dan kapel kecil yg cantik. Kamar-kamar tamu cukup banyak: bersih dan wangi dengan linen, handuk dan peralatan mandi yg rutin diganti.
"Itu ada minuman sekedarnya. Bila perlu untuk sahur jangan sungkan2. Di bawah ada dapur".
Saya tercenung. Beliau tahu hari ini saya mulai puasa dan sebagai Muslim saya wajib menjalankannya.
Kamar para pastor ada di bawah, di lantai 1. Sedang guesthouse ada di lantai 3. Saya tak mau merepotkan mereka di pagi buta jadi saya menyiapkan sahur sebelum tidur.
Setelah mengunjungi beberapa tempat menarik dan mengobrol saya masuk kamar. Lalu dengan aplikasi di hp saya mencari arah kiblat dn bersiap menjalankan tarawih.
Saya menggelar sajadah, mengheningkan diri dan mensyukuri persaudaraan kami: seorang musafir Muslim dan Pastor Katolik.
Malam ini, shalat tarawih pertama di bulan suci saya dirikan di pasturan. Allah ada dimana-mana, di setiap jengkal tanahNya. Kebaikan ada dimana-mana. Saudara saya dimana-mana. Sungguh, saya adalah musafir yang beruntung.
Terima kasih Pastor Paskalis, Frater Fransiskus dan PastorEdmundus Sonny de Classs untuk persaudaraan ini.
*) Note: ternyata namanya Pasturan bukan Pastoral. Maaf ya untuk penyebutan nama yg salah...
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My Tarawih Prayer in the Catholic Vicarage
Do you remember my earlier post about an old nun in Poland who kind enough made me a cup of hot chocolate and biscuit when I visited her church? It was heavily raining and I needed a shelter. You can imagine how thankful I was. So, my story continues. Upon arrival in Berlin, I met a father (Catholic priest) from Flores, Indonesia, who has been serving here in Berlin for 16 years.
I call him Romo (Father) Paskalis, a chief priest in the parish. He is a friend of mine. We firstly met in Dubuque, Iowa, when I got a scholarship from the US government and he also was studying at the seminary in the small town where I was stationed. During my fellowship I visited the seminary and met him and some other priests. Our friendship grows.
He is now returned to Germany. But I did not know if he is in Berlin. To my knowledge he is in Dresden or somewhere else. Friends of us, brother Fransiskus and Father Sonny, reconnected me with Father Paskalis. I was surprised when got off from the bus from Poland, he was already waiting for me at the bus station
I did not intend to stay in hotel although my flight for Amsterdam is the next day. I preferred to overnight at airport like other backpackers do. For people like me, staying overnight in hotel in Berlin is quite expensive Also, my flight will be at early morning. So what a point of renting an expensive room while you can enjoy evening and waiting for your next flight in comfy airport? (typical backpacker thoughts)
But Father Paskalis disagreed. He said it was too risky for me to spend the night there. Then he offered me to stay in his vicarage, or what do you call it? It is an area for priest’s resident and guest rooms which is close to church and chapel. Seeing my hesitation, he said, “Don’t worry. We have plenty of rooms for our guests and it is not only we (priests) staying here.”
I was so touched. Who am I, got this beautiful tribute to stay overnight in the vicarage?
The vicarage is very beautiful, shady and spacious. There is a big church for mass over there and a gorgeous small chapel. The guest rooms are clean and fragrant with linens, towels and toiletries that frequently replaced.
"There are drinks for visitors. If you need to “sahur” (meal for fasting preparation), you can take it from the kitchen downstairs.”
I was stunned. He knew that tomorrow is the first day of Ramadhan and as a muslim I have to fast.
After visiting some interesting places and had a chat, I went to my room. I checked the qiblah direction through Muslim apps in my phone and be ready for my prayer.
I held a prayer rug, calming my mind and be grateful with a friendship among us: a muslim traveler and a priest. Tonight is the first Tarawih prayer in the holy month of Ramadhan and I am doing it in a vicarage. God is everywhere, in every inch of His land. Kindness is everywhere. Friendship is everywhere regardless your race, religion, nation. I am, indeed the lucky traveler.
My sincere thanks to Father Paskalis K. Teli Lolan, Frater Fransiskus Santoso, Father Edmundus Sonny de Class, Cindy Sheldon Steinhauser, Nan Peck, Teri Hawks Goodmann and all for our beautiful friendship.
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