On 8 August 1933 Soegijapranata and two fellow priests departed for the Indies; Soegijapranata was assigned to preach at Kidul Loji in Yogyakarta, near Kraton.
He served as parochial vicar for Father van Driessche, one of his teachers from Xaverius.
The elder priest taught Soegijapranata how to better address the needs of his parish, while van Driessche likely used Soegijapranata to preach to the city's growing native Catholic population.
Soegijapranata was, by this point, a short and chubby man with what the Dutch historian Geert Arend van Klinken described as "a boyish sense of humour that won him many friends".

After the St Yoseph Church in Bintaran, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from Kidul Loji, opened in April 1934, Soegijapranata was transferred there to become its priest; the church primarily served the Javanese Catholic community.
Bintaran was one of four centres of Catholic presence in Yogyakarta at the time, along with Kidul Loji, Kotabaru, and Pugeran; each major church served a wide area, and the priests from the major churches gave sermons in the furthest reaches of their parishes.
After van Driessche's death in June 1934, Soegijapranata's duties were extended to include the village of Ganjuran, Bantul, 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the city, which was home to more than a thousand native Catholics.
He was also a spiritual adviser to several local groups and established a Catholic credit union.

The Catholic Church at the time faced difficulty retaining converts.
Some Javanese, who had converted as students, returned to Islam after reentering society and facing social ostracism.
In a 1935 meeting with other Jesuits, Soegijapranata blamed the problem on the lack of a united Catholic identity, or sensus Catholicus, as well as few intermarriages between native Catholics.
Soegijapranata opposed marriage between Catholics and non-Catholics.
He counselled young Catholic couples before marriage, believing that these unions helped unite the Catholic families in the city, and continued to write for Swaratama, again serving as its editor in chief.
In 1938, he was chosen to advise the Society of Jesus, coordinating Jesuit work in the Indies.
On 8 August 1933 Soegijapranata and two fellow priests departed for the Indies; Soegijapranata was assigned to preach at Kidul Loji in Yogyakarta, near Kraton. He served as parochial vicar for Father van Driessche, one of his teachers from Xaverius. The elder priest taught Soegijapranata how to better address the needs of his parish, while van Driessche likely used Soegijapranata to preach to the city's growing native Catholic population. Soegijapranata was, by this point, a short and chubby man with what the Dutch historian Geert Arend van Klinken described as "a boyish sense of humour that won him many friends".
After the St Yoseph Church in Bintaran, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from Kidul Loji, opened in April 1934, Soegijapranata was transferred there to become its priest; the church primarily served the Javanese Catholic community. Bintaran was one of four centres of Catholic presence in Yogyakarta at the time, along with Kidul Loji, Kotabaru, and Pugeran; each major church served a wide area, and the priests from the major churches gave sermons in the furthest reaches of their parishes. After van Driessche's death in June 1934, Soegijapranata's duties were extended to include the village of Ganjuran, Bantul, 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the city, which was home to more than a thousand native Catholics. He was also a spiritual adviser to several local groups and established a Catholic credit union.
The Catholic Church at the time faced difficulty retaining converts. Some Javanese, who had converted as students, returned to Islam after reentering society and facing social ostracism. In a 1935 meeting with other Jesuits, Soegijapranata blamed the problem on the lack of a united Catholic identity, or sensus Catholicus, as well as few intermarriages between native Catholics. Soegijapranata opposed marriage between Catholics and non-Catholics. He counselled young Catholic couples before marriage, believing that these unions helped unite the Catholic families in the city, and continued to write for Swaratama, again serving as its editor in chief. In 1938, he was chosen to advise the Society of Jesus, coordinating Jesuit work in the Indies.
Albertus Soegijapranata