SEMARANG, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - Located in the central part of the island of Java (Indonesia), it comprises the civil districts of Temangung, Megelang, Pati, and Japara.
The area is 21,296 sq. km. with a population of approximately 10,000,000 inhabitants, of whom 7,000,000 are Muslims, 17,048 Calvinist Protestants, 2,900,000 pagans, and 47,013 Catholics with 1,872 catechumens. The official language is Indonesian, which is increasingly spreading throughout the archipelago as a unifying national bond. The mission is entrusted to the Society of Jesus and is governed by a Javanese Jesuit bishop—the first of the indigenous clergy—who also serves as Military Ordinary of the Indonesian army. It was erected as an Apostolic Vicariate on 25 June 1940, having been detached from the present Apostolic Vicariate of Djakarta. In this part of the island of Java, Catholicism has achieved its greatest success. The obstacles to a methodical and effective evangelizing work are not as severe as in the western regions of the island. During and after the last war, the mission suffered considerable damage, but the zeal of the Jesuits and the missionaries of the Holy Family was able to restore this jurisdiction to its former state, giving the missionary movement a new impetus.
In 1950–51, the vicariate had: 15 native priests; 56 Jesuit fathers; 9 missionaries of the Holy Family; 111 brothers; 206 sisters; 12 major and 104 minor seminarians; 36 catechists; 957 teachers; 5 doctors; 34 churches and 41 chapels; 5 hospitals; 9 pharmacies; 8 orphanages; 147 elementary schools; 22 middle schools; 5 vocational schools; 7 teacher-training schools; 1 printing press. There are 23 primary stations and 91 secondary ones.
ESMEI (Heb. Šim'ā “[the Lord] has heard me”). - Name of many persons in the Bible. The best known is the Benjaminite who, on the Mount of Olives, DAVIDE (v.) as he was leaving Jerusalem to escape from Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5–8). Pardoned at that moment by David despite Abishai’s (v.) demand for vengeance, and again on his return (ibid. 16:9–14; 19:16–23), he was later put to death by Solomon for having transgressed the latter’s orders (1 Kings 2:8 ff., 36–46).
Among other Esmeis, some belong to David’s time: a brother of his (2 Sam. 21:21), elsewhere called Shammah (1 Sam. 16:9; 17:13); a partisan of Solomon during Adonijah’s attempt (1 Kings 1:8); a Levite among David’s singers (1 Chron. 25:3). Others to be noted are: a grandson of Levi (Ex. 6:17 et seq.); a Simeonite famed for his numerous progeny (1 Chron. 4:26 ff.); an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:26, Gr. Σαμετν).