Welcoming Ceremony for the Bishop and Reception of the Statue of Our Lady in Nangalili Village Proves High Religious Tolerance

Nangalili (KKN UIN Sunan Kalijaga) - A peaceful religious and cultural moment was created in the sub-district of South Lembor, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Nangalili Village successfully held a welcoming ceremony for His Excellency the Bishop along with the procession for receiving the Statue of the Virgin Mary on Friday (10/7/2026). This annual momentum, which is part of the series of events welcoming the Golo Koe Festival, serves as concrete proof of how strong the pillars of tolerance and religious harmony are among the people of Nangalili Village.

Nangalili Village is an area with a relatively high level of ethnic and religious diversity in South Lembor, with a composition of approximately 70% Muslims and 30% non-Muslims. Three major ethnic groups—Ende, Bima, and Manggarai—live side by side peacefully in this region. However, these differences in belief do not act as a barrier at all, because during the reception of the Statue of the Virgin Mary brought by the Bishop to the Pastor of the Lengkong Cepang Parish, all elements of society, including Muslim residents, showed extraordinary enthusiasm to make the event a success.

The Head of Nangalili Village, Mr. Alfin Husen, emphasized that the presence of the statue in the area is a form of tolerance by Muslims toward Christians in their ritual worship, which constitutes a regional cultural asset. He added that these values of togetherness are deliberately nurtured for the future of the region so that what is done today can serve as a guide for leaders and future generations.

Echoing the Village Head, Mrs. An, a housewife and local resident of Nangalili Village, shared how warm the support from Muslim families was throughout the procession. She revealed that the involvement of non-Catholic residents was very high and that they looked out for one another, as this mutual support is a tradition frequently practiced during every religious moment in the village.

The atmosphere of tolerance in this religious celebration was made even more meaningful by the active involvement of Community Service Program (KKN) students from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta who are carrying out their service program in the village. Regarding this, Mr. Alfin as the Head of Nangalili Village expressed high appreciation because the students from the Islamic-based campus were considered capable of blending closely with the people of Nangalili Village within the framework of religious tolerance.

The procession of the Statue of the Virgin Mary is an annual agenda whose route changes every year within the Diocese region. After being welcomed in Nangalili, the statue was escorted to the Lengkong Cepang Parish to stay overnight, with the entire series of events culminating at the Waterfront Labuan Bajo area on August 8 as a sign of the official opening of the Golo Koe Festival.