The death of Fr. Maxi Seno, SVD, is a profound loss for the people of Hokeng, Flores. Yet his life offers a lasting lesson in missionary discipleship: to remain with God’s people in their suffering. Fr. Felix Baghi, SVD, pays tribute to a fellow missionary who stayed with his flock until the very end.
By. Fr. Felix Baghi SVD
There are priests who serve from behind a desk. There are priests who serve on university campuses. There are priests who appear among the faithful only occasionally. Yet there are also priests who choose to live, suffer, and struggle alongside their flock in displacement.
Fr. Maxi Seno, SVD was one of them. Amid the prolonged suffering caused by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi, which forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes and ancestral lands, he did not choose to depart in search of comfort. He remained with his people in Hokeng. He lived in displacement as his flock lived in displacement. He ate what his people ate. He dwelled in the same simplicity. He bore the same cross.
Where many viewed the evacuation site as a temporary place marked by limitations, Fr. Maxi perceived it as a locus of pastoral presence. He did not strengthen his congregation with words alone, but with the entirety of his life. His presence became a testament that the Church does not abandon those who are wounded and bereft of hope.
Those who have visited Hokeng understand the gravity of the conditions faced by the community there. Homes were damaged. The parish church and its facilities were affected. The future remained uncertain. Yet amid such hardship, Fr. Maxi Seno, SVD continued to labor without ostentation.
Gradually, he endeavored to repair the damaged church and parish facilities. With his own hands, he worked the land, cultivating crops to sustain the common life of the displaced faithful. He did not merely preach about hope; he planted that hope in wounded soil. Even in the final days of his life, he continued to fulfill his pastoral duties.
As recently as yesterday afternoon, he was still with his people. He still celebrated the Eucharist, the source of strength and consolation for a suffering community. Following that celebration, he collapsed and was rushed to TC Hillers Hospital in Maumere. And today, he has returned to the Father’s house.
The passing of Fr. Maxi leaves profound grief. The faithful have lost a pastor. Hokeng has lost a friend. The suffering have lost a devoted companion. More than that, the Church has lost a living testimony of what it means to be a good shepherd.
In the Gospel, Jesus states that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Fr. Maxi may not have died on a battlefield or in a dramatic event. Yet he spent himself, little by little each day, for the sake of the flock entrusted to his care. He chose to remain when circumstances were difficult. He chose fidelity when conditions were constrained. He chose presence when many justifications for departure were available.
Thus, his life became a sermon more powerful than words. He demonstrated that authentic ministry is not primarily a matter of office, but of fidelity; not of grandeur, but of proximity; not of comfort, but of sacrifice.
Today, Hokeng grieves. The displaced faithful weep for the loss of their shepherd. Yet they also have reason to give thanks for having journeyed with a priest who chose to live and die among them.
May you now rest in the embrace of the Good Shepherd whom you served throughout your life.
Requiescat in Pace.
Though the shepherd has departed, the witness of his love, humility, and steadfast presence will continue to inspire the people he served and the Church he loved.
Veritas Indonesia berkomitmen untuk terus menghadirkan tulisan-tulisan yang meneguhkan iman dan menyuarakan kebenaran. Kami mengundang Anda, para pembaca setia, untuk turut mendukung operasional pelayanan ini melalui donasi ke rekening BCA 6440054739 a.n. Lucia Margaretha Audrey Niron (Bendahara Veritas Indonesia). Agar donasi Anda dapat kami terima dan catat dengan baik, mohon kirimkan bukti transfer kepada Editor Konten kami, Maria Frani Ayu, di nomor 081230038196. Sedikit dari Anda adalah wujud nyata kebersamaan dalam pelayanan ini.
