Rome (Italy). On 17 October 2025, in Rome at the General House of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, celebrations officially opened for the now imminent Canonization of Sister Maria Troncatti, FMA missionary in Ecuador, expected on 19 October in St. Peter’s Square. Right from the start, the House was filled with greetings and embraces, in the joy of the encounter, among the approximately 500 participants who came from all over the world.
In addition to the Superior General of the FMA Institute, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, the entire General Council and the resident community, also present were: the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Fabio Attard; the Postulator of the Causes of the Salesian Family, Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, SDB; the deputy Postulator, Sister Francesca Caggiano, FMA; Monsignor Néstor Montesdeoca Becerra, SDB, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez; with other Bishops and Cardinals of Ecuador; an Armenian Bishop, the Provincial of Ecuador and some SDB Directors; the Provincial, Sister Lupe Erazo of the Sacred Heart Province (ECU); the previous Provincial, Sister Cruz María Piña Peláez ;Sister Elena Tinitana who followed the cause; Juwa Bosco, miraculously healed by Sister Maria Troncatti, with his wife, family members, and members of the Shuar community; the Mayor of Sucúa and the Mayor of Corteno Golgi, with Sister Maria’s relatives; the Provincials, the Animators of the Preprovince; the members of the Salesian Family, the Novices of the international Novitiate Mary Help of Christians of Castel Gandolfo, missionaries and young people.
The event, followed in direct streaming from all over the world also thanks to the translations, began with a song performed by the Novices and by the greetings of the Secretary General, Sister Maria Luisa Nicastro, who welcomed and introduced the interventions. What does the Holiness of Sister Maria say to me and to us today, in the condition in which we find ourselves? What is the message for the FMA, the Salesian Family, the Church, young people, the world?
The first word was addressed to the assembly by Mother Chiara Cazzuola, who reiterated the exceptional nature of the moment, the first Canonization after the Co-founder of the Institute, Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello. It is also a very strong vocational reminder for the Institute and for every FMA, “an appeal to live with fidelity and renewed impetus our existence as Salesian consecrated women, the educational mission, holiness.”
Mother then underlined some characteristics of the photo chosen for Canonization. “The more I look at it, the more I am convinced that we could not have made a better choice” – such as the serenity and motherhood of her face, her smile “measured but authentic”, of a person who fought, but “with her gaze fixed on heaven.” Sister Maria’s portrait is that of a contemplative woman, but at the same time, “totally donated to her large family.” What can Sister Maria Troncatti tell us? “Many things”, says Mother. First of all, it is a reminder of the personal vocation to Salesian life, to consecrated life, to holiness, in the constant search for the Lord, without ever losing sight “of His strength, His life, His presence.” With the desire and prayer to live – like her – “a simple and concrete love, capable of healing the wounds of body and soul, to be instruments of healing, peace and hope towards the people that You Yourself make us encounter.” (complete text)
A woman totally consistent with her choice – “You give yourself only once and forever” – who knows how to make herself available at any time and in any condition. “Let’s go, I’ll come immediately.” This is how the Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Fabio Attard, portrays her, a proactive and responsible woman who knows how to intercept people’s needs. “I go with all my heart; I always have my thought on the mission.” Always with the humility that comes from the awareness of being an instrument at the service of something greater and with the firm desire “to become a mediator, to build dialogue, to offer reconciliation.”
“Sister Maria Troncatti’s life tells us today that authenticity, courage, total dedication, and the ability to build bridges are not abstract qualities, but concrete daily choices. Each of us has a unique and unrepeatable contribution to offer,” is the message that Fr. Attard draws from this. (complete text)
Then the Postulator, Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, went on the stage who, as Sister Maria Luisa recalled, was also present at the Beatification on 24 November 2012. His talk made reference to the Canonization as a “feast of holiness” and compared the figure of Sister Maria with that of Saint Artemide Zatti, Salesian coadjutor, canonized on 9 October 2022. “Both lived in their youth the experience of illness and suffering, which put the journey and vocational discernment to the test; both were qualified and much appreciated nurses, who treated bodies and souls and ran a hospital for the poor and most disadvantaged.”
Fr. Pierluigi thus presented the relevance of the message of these two Salesian saints. “The urgency of ‘healing the world’, marked by deep wounds. May Saint Maria Troncatti help us to heal the roots of our physical, moral, spiritual, and social infirmities; to heal from our spiritual paralysis, from our relational mutism, from our disbelief, and hardness of heart.”
The Postulator concluded with the significant words with which Monsignor Gutiérrez, rapporteur of the Cause, presented Sister Maria. “She presents herself before our eyes as a woman endowed with great human sympathy, common sense, and a surprising inner elasticity full of energy, which allows her to adapt to the multiple variety of situations she has to face. All this is coupled with a life of sincere piety and no affectation at all.” (complete text)
This was followed by the screening of the video “…it will change into joy” summarizing the life of Sister Maria, edited by Sister Maria Ausilia De Siena, General Councilor for the Communication Sector, accompanied by historical photos, videos, and audio provided by the photographic Archive of the General Secretariat of the Institute, by the Historical Archive of the Salesians of Ecuador, and by the Historical Photographic Archive of Varazze, with music by Sister Susana Díaz, FMA.
“Your sadness will change into joy. It was like this for Juwa Bosco.” With this, Sister Maria Luisa introduced Juwa’s testimony on stage, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Natalina, and the Provincial, Sister Cruz Piña, who acted as interpreter. His presence was truly emotional, as was the story of the accident that disabled him and the salient moments that led to his recovery through the intercession of Sister Maria Troncatti, from which his life completely changed, not only from a physical point of view: “To tell you the truth, before the accident, I wasn’t really close to God; I didn’t like to pray; I only did when my wife asked me. But after my relationship with God changed… now I’m the one who insists on praying, more so than my wife.” Now he is committed to visiting the sick, because he knows how much they miss visits and moral support. “With God, nothing is impossible, that is the message,” he strongly reiterated as he concluded, with the assembly rising to its feet in long applause.
Juwa and his wife were joined by other family members – his son Juwa, his brother-in-law Pedro, and Mrs. Leticia, and a catechist representing young people – who sang three songs of the Amazonian Shuar culture dedicated to Sister Maria Troncatti. Greetings followed from the Mayor of Sucúa and the Mayor of Corteno Golgi.
After another song by the Novices – “Born to fly” – the final minutes were devoted to explaining the exhibit on Sister Maria Troncatti by the curator, Fr. Erino Leoni, Vicar of the Lombard-Emilian Salesian Province – together with Mr. Paolo Zini, SDB, and Sister Marisa Canobbio, Vicar of the ILO Lombardy Province – who pointed out that, “it is not an exhibit of a historical nature. We would like it to be an itinerary that introduces us to the heart of God that Sister Maria Troncatti brought to meet her people. And it becomes a vocational provocation for us and for those who want to encounter her, because meeting the mystery of holiness is meeting the Mystery of God who calls and calls now, in this moment.” Fr. Erino explained the journey, which unfolds through three words and three images: the wings, the cross, the arms. Hence the title, “the wings of Sister Troncatti: from the cross, two arms in flight .”
With the final thank you and the hymn sung by the Novices, a beautiful event ended in the company of Sister Maria Troncatti who, as the General Secretary recalled, “this is only the beginning” of the celebrations. The evening continued with a convivial moment and the first visits to the exhibit, before meeting the next day for the celebration together with the young people of the SYM in Rome Cinecittà, and with the Vigil presided over by the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard.
