Franciscan Friars Join Rescue And Relief Efforts After Floods in Indonesia

Sibolga, Indonesia, 5 December 2025 — Franciscan friars have mobilised to support flood and landslide rescue operations in North Sumatra following torrential rains that have caused widespread devastation, opening monastery shelters to over 200 displaced families and assisting with evacuation, basic aid and pastoral care amid ongoing emergency conditions. 

Tropical Cyclone Senyar brought intense rainfall, flooding and landslides to provinces including North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and stretching rescue capacities in remote areas. Friar Yoseph Norbert Sinaga, Provincial Superior of the Capuchin Friars in Sibolga, reported that entire villages were swept away and that many people remain without homes, drinking water or electricity. 

The Franciscan fraternity has opened the doors of its Novitiate to provide shelter for vulnerable displaced persons, including families, children and the elderly, offering not only food and accommodation but also moral support and community presence during the crisis. 

Friar Sinaga described serious challenges, especially the scarcity of drinking water and limited access to isolated communities, while also noting the friars’ efforts to work with local authorities and volunteers to reach those in need and begin planning for recovery and future rebuilding. 

The Capuchin presence in the region, established more than a century ago, continues to play a key role in Catholic witness and humanitarian response, and the friars have appealed to Franciscan communities and other partners in Indonesia for solidarity and support as relief work proceeds.

Source and Image Credits : Vatican News