It was late in the afternoon when a cold wind from the west slope of Mount Merapi made its way into the living room of a modest house belonging to a Catholic priest in Sumber village in Central Java town of Magelang.
The quietness was broken when several men in Muslim caps arrived and soon engaged in lively conversations with the host, Father Kirdjito.
The 55-year-old priest recently invited Muslims in the village to his home to share their experiences with visiting post-graduate theology students from Berkeley University in California, the U.S.
The students from different nationalities were staying in the village for a few days to observe the harmonious living among residents of different faiths in the village.
The students also paid a visit to nearby Pabelan Muslim boarding house and Cipto Budoyo art and culture workshop.
"I always remember the words of a local kyai (Muslim figure). He said to me, 'Father, we have different religions, but it will be great if we (work) together to solve problems within society. By doing this, things must work better'," Kirdjito told The Jakarta Post.
Kirdjito was assigned to Sumber parish in 2000 after serving another parish in Mertoyudan village in Magelang for six years.
Since then, he has been active in and outside the church, getting along not only with the Catholic congregation but also others from different faiths and all walks of life, from farmers to artists, literary men, sand excavators and stone collectors.
He said the residents living on the slopes of Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes, are like a big family.
"I regard all of them as my brothers and sisters, as told by the kyai," he said.
Kirdjito is no ordinary priest. He has taken particular interest in common issues, including environment and culture, inside and outside his parish.
He said by inviting people to preserve water, it meant they were helping saving the environment.
"We also involve children in our campaign to save the environment," Kirdjito said.
Since 2002, the community has held the Jagad Bocah Merapi (World of Merapi Children) cultural festival involving no less than 700 school children.
"Through this forum we can teach children from an early age to love the environment and local culture. What's more, through the festival activities we also improve the self-esteem of the rural children."
The priest, who was born in the Yogyakarta village of Kulon Progo, has also brought up environmental issues inside the church.
"Since the very beginning, I have asked the congregation to respect water as an important source of human energy. So far, people consider water just an ordinary thing, but actually it is a source of life that cannot be separated from us. But we often take it for granted."
In his sermons, especially during important holidays like Christmas and Easter, he delivers the message of the need to preserve the environment.
In most cases, water is the main highlight of his masses, including during the water procession ritual from Pitu spring in Sumber village to nearby Ngargomulyo village held during last year's Christmas mass.
The procession began with the collection of water from Pitu spring at upstream Gemer river. The water was then blessed in a Catholic ceremony before being carried around the village and then kept at the church where the Christmas mass would take place.
During the blessing ritual, the priest not only sprinkled the congregation with the holy water taken from Gemer river but also gave them plant seeds and farming tools like hoes and sickles.
It is also common to see the church packed with local art and culture.
Traditional performances like jathilan and wayang orang are at times presented during a mass led by Kirdjito.
The performances are not only performed by Catholic residents but also other people of different faiths, reflecting a harmonious religious life and the spirit of togetherness.
"Maybe it is strange that I have brought various traditional art and cultural performances inside church, and maybe there are those Catholics who are against it or those who support it."
