Archbishop Kornelius Sipayung

Archbishop Kornelius Sipayung, O.F.M.Cap., Archbishop of Medan, was born on August 26, 1970, in Bandar Hinalang-Kabanjahe, in the region of North Sumatra and the Archdiocese of Medan. After attending the Christus Sacerdos Minor Seminary at Pematangsiantar, he completed his philosophical and theological courses at St. John's College in the same city. He made his perpetual profession on August 22, 1998, and was ordained a priest on December 11, 1999. He then served as parish priest of Our Lady of the Assumption at Kabanjahe (1999-2002); studied for a licentiate in dogmatic theology at the Gregorian University in Rome (2002-2005), followed by a six-month English course in Brisbane; served as formator of Capuchin seminarians at Pematangsiantar and lecturer in various theological disciplines at St. John's College (2005-2015); and was guardian at Pematangsiantar and vice-provincial minister of Medan (2012-2015). From 2015 he served as provincial minister, and was re-elected in 2018 for a further term. He has been a member of the collaboration group of the Indonesian Capuchins, which brings together representatives of the two provinces of Medan and Pontianak and the two custodies of Sibolga and Nias, and a member of the Asia-Pacific Capuchin Conference. Nationally he has served on the theological commission of the episcopal conference, and at diocesan level on the presbyteral council and as administrator of the Harapan Jaya Foundation and of Caritas. On December 8, 2018, he was appointed Archbishop of Medan. He received episcopal ordination on February 2, 2019, at Medan, with Piero Pioppo as principal consecrator and Anicetus Bongsu Antonius Sinaga and Martinus Dogma Situmorang as co-consecrators.