Rome, Italy
April 4, 2009

Father Edmund Woga, C.Ss.R., Province of Indonesia, named Bishop of the Diocese of Weetebula, Indonesia.

Today, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed Father Edmund Woga, C.Ss.R., of the Province of Indonesia, the Bishop of the diocese of Weetebula, Indonesia.
Father Woga was born in Flores, NTT, Indonesia on November 17, 1950 in Hewokloang in the diocese of Maumere. He entered the Minor Seminary of St. John Berchmans of Mataloko, Flores and did his philosophy and theological studies at the Major Seminary of Dentungan, Yogyakarta.

He was ordained a priest on November 29, 1977 and incardinated into the Diocese of Weetebula. In 1980 he entered the Congregation, making his first profession on July 11, 1980. He made his perpetual profession on December 27, 1984.

Father Woga has a Doctorate in Theology, which he earned in Munich, Germany. He was a professor of Missiology at Wedhabakti Theological Faculty, Yogyakarta from 2002 to 2008. He served as Redemptorist Provincial Superior of the Province of Indonesia from 2002 – 2008.

The diocese of Weetebula was established from the former Prefecture Apostolic of Weetebula in 1969. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Kupang. It has a Catholic population of around 125,000 out of a general population of 600,000. The diocese has 19 parishes served by about 70 priests, 64 male religious and 63 female religious. Father Woga had served as administrator of the diocese since it became vacant on January 19, 2008 when Bishop Girulfus Kherubim Pareira, S.V.D. was transferred to the see of Maumere.