Thousands attend mass

Thousands attend mass

YOGYAKARTA: Some 50 thousand Catholics took part in a mass
held at the Mandala Krida Stadium on Saturday in commemoration of
Indonesia's 50th anniversary.

The service opened with a drum band show by students from the
Stella Duce High School and also a series of dances.

The service was opened with a procession of missionaries,
deacons and collectors. It was concluded with the mass led by the
Semarang archbishop Yulius Kardinal Darmaatmadja.

"We have to cherish the independence which our heroes fought
for in the past. We must take action against crime and
corruption," Yulius said in his sermon.

"We have to help each other in the truth and in the fight
against poverty," he added. (har/imn)