Frans Seda Centenary Marked with Intergenerational Dialogue
JAKARTA — Intergenerational exchange was a central feature of the Frans Seda Centennial Celebration: Empowering the Next Generation, held in the ballroom on the 15th floor of the Yustinus Building at Atma Jaya Catholic University’s Semanggi campus on Friday, 9 October 2026. Using technology, the event introduced young people to Frans Seda’s ideas and example, while inviting them to find new ways to carry on his legacy.
Organised by the Frans Seda Foundation, Atma Jaya Foundation and Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, with support from the Management Education and Development Foundation (PPM) and Kompas Gramedia Group, the celebration marked the culmination of a programme of events that began in September.
Frans Seda’s contribution to education is reflected in his role as one of the founders of Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia in 1960. He believed that nation-building involved not only policy and leadership, but also human development and education. That legacy lives on through Atma Jaya, which seeks to nurture people who are knowledgeable, principled and socially conscious. This spirit aligns with the centenary’s message: to give future generations the space to learn, grow and make a difference to the nation.
The commemorations began on 2 September with the opening of the ‘Frans Seda: Historical Traces’ exhibition at the ATMACultura Exhibition Room on the university campus. On 1 October, the Frans Seda Foundation, the Atma Jaya Institute of Public Policy (AJIPP) and Kompas Gramedia Group held a special 100th-anniversary edition of the Memorial Lecture, entitled ‘Economic Policy in Difficult Times’. The keynote speakers were Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara and National Economic Council Deputy Chair Mari Elka Pangestu.
The programme continued with a visit to Frans Seda’s grave on 4 October.
The main event began with a thanksgiving Mass at St Albertus Magnus Chapel, led by Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, chair of the Atma Jaya Foundation’s board of trustees and an honorary member of the Frans Seda Foundation, together with Father Ignasius Wahyudi Paweling and Father Hendrikus Meko, SVD. In his homily, Cardinal Suharyo reflected on Seda’s early awareness of the calling of Catholic laypeople to bring Gospel values into public life, including politics, the economy, culture, health and education. He urged young people to safeguard, nurture and develop Seda’s legacy by finding new approaches suited to the times.
“This legacy has been entrusted to us to safeguard, nurture and develop by finding new paths. The essence and purpose remain the same: to imbue a world that is moving ever further away from Gospel values,” Cardinal Suharyo said.
Frans Seda Foundation Managing Director Stefanus Ginting said Seda was a role model whose work and thinking were ahead of his time, as a statesman, religious figure and educator. He said the theme ‘Empowering the Next Generation’ was brought to life through a format designed to engage young people, using artificial intelligence, music and musical theatre.
Atma Jaya Catholic University Rector Prof Yuda Turana urged attendees to take Frans Seda as a living example of the spirit of ‘For God and Country’. The centenary, he said, was not simply about remembering the past, but about reviving that spirit of service through everyday choices and actions.
The celebration also featured sasando music performed by Mateo Jubileo and a performance by Ningsyh and Friends. The ‘For God and Country’ (UTTA) theatre group, comprising students, alumni, Atma Jaya staff and friends of the university, staged a musical about Seda’s life, from childhood to his career as a minister. Nusa Wicastya wrote and directed the production and played Frans Seda, alongside J. Rizhan as the young Seda, Maria Vernanda as Johanna Seda and Harris Syaus as Sukarno.
After the performance, attendees took part in a ‘Conversation with Frans Seda’ session. It opened with a video message from Seda, followed by questions from five representatives of different generations: Cardinal Suharyo, Atma Jaya Foundation executive board chair Linus M. Setiadi, Rector Prof Yuda Turana, a student representative and a senior secondary school student representative. Technology enabled the discussion to become a forum for reflecting on the continuing relevance of Seda’s values and ideas.
The effort to pass on Seda’s legacy also included recognition of young people’s work. In collaboration with the Emtek Institute of Digital Media (IMDE), the organisers presented awards in a vertical-film competition. Winners of the ‘What Lives On?’ competition for school and university students were also announced. The contest, which attracted 85 participants, invited them to learn about Seda and express their ideas through short stories, illustrations and reels. Entries were judged by specialists in each field: Dr Phil Mikhael Dua for short stories, Afzainizam Nur Fahmi for illustrations and Rian Fahardhi Risyad for reels.
The centenary was also marked by the 100 Friends for Schools initiative, which raised Rp145 million. The funds will support renovations at Ile Bura Catholic Junior High School and the San Marco boys’ and girls’ dormitories in Ile Bura district, East Flores regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The initiative underscored that remembering Frans Seda means continuing his concern through practical action, particularly by supporting education and the future of young people.