Nizza Monferrato (Italy). On Sunday 19 October 2025, a few hours after the solemn Canonization in St. Peter’s Square of Sister Maria Troncatti (Corteno, 16 February 1883 – Sucúa, 25 August 1969), Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, in Nizza Monferrato (AT) at the Institute of Our Lady of Graces of Mary Help of Christians Province (IPI), the missionary Jubilee was organized in her honor. Sister Maria, the Madrecita, was a missionary for 46 years in the Amazon Jungle of Ecuador.
The desire to celebrate the new Saint gathered the people of Nizza Monferrato and the neighboring towns for a festive celebration, which ended with the Eucharist of thanksgiving for the gift of her holiness to the Church and the Institute.
Present were the Vice-Mayor of the city of Nizza, the Mayor of Incisa Scapaccino, the President, and various members of the City Council of Nizza Monferrato. The presence of the President of the Nicese Union of Past Pupils, the Coordinator of the Salesian Cooperators, the Vice-President of Vides “Agape”, the president of the Padre Pio Prayer Group with their associates, and a large presence of citizens of Nizza, Incisa, Isola d’Asti, Canelli, Novi Ligure, Vinchio, and other towns made the celebrations more solemn.
The figure of Sister Maria Troncatti was presented in the most significant stages of her life and, in particular, as highlighted by the Animator, Sister Piera Cavaglià, in the two stops in Nizza, contemplating her within her limitations, trepidations, nostalgia, and, at the same time, in her missionary daring and confident hope in Jesus and Mary Help of Christians.
At Nizza Monferrato, in fact, at the Mother House of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Maria Troncatti experienced the formative stages of the postulate and novitiate and made her temporary Profession on 17 September 1908. After the destinations of Varazze and Genoa, and after the Great War, in 1919 she was back in Nizza, where she was nurse, assistant, helper in the oratory, always ready to substitute others. In March 1922, the boarder, Marina Luzzi, whom she assists at the end of her life, predicts that she will not go as a missionary among the lepers, but to Ecuador. The young woman died on March 14, 1922. After a few days, Mother Daghero tells her that she will go as a missionary to the Ecuador. On 9 November 1922, Sister Maria left for Ecuador.
Then there followed the screening of the Video …will be changed into joy, presented for the first time on 17 October in Rome in the Generalate on the occasion of the Opening of the celebrations for the Canonization. It was created by the Communication Sector of the FMA Institute, and attracted everyone’s attention in retracing the biographical story of the Saint, the places of her mission, the message she offers for today, as a call to missionary relaunching in the daily routine, to courage in overcoming the hardships and difficulties of every life. It was moving to hear Sister Maria’s voice, to perceive her fears, worries, and hopes in living an arduous mission full of challenges.
The reflection ended with sharing in a pastoral and formative key by the Parish Priest, Fr. Paolino Siri. He commented on Jesus’ discourse to His missionary disciples recalling the experience of Sister Maria, a life transformed by the Gospel and therefore open to the proclamation of Jesus to the poor, to the indigenous people, to the settlers, to everyone.
The procession to the Sanctuary, punctuated by the singing of the Jubilee hymn, helped the participants to prepare their hearts for the Eucharistic Celebration offered in thanksgiving for the holiness of Sister Maria Troncatti. Everyone returned home carrying the beautiful poster prepared for Canonization and, above all, with hearts filled with gratitude for having closely contemplated a missionary Saint who made herself a gift of love, mediator of peace and reconciliation.
