Rome (Italy). A few days after the Canonization of Sister Maria Troncatti, missionary Daughter of Mary Help of Christians missionary (19 October 2025), the Novices of the International Novitiate Mary Help of Christians of Castel Gandolfo, Rome, share in the form of an interview, the meaning of this experience of Grace:
“As young women in discernment and formation, we feel very grateful to God to be able to experience the Novitiate near Rome, particularly in this Jubilee year. Among the events of Grace at which we were able to be present, there is also the Canonization of Sister Maria Troncatti, the first FMA declared a saint after the co-founder Mother Mazzarello! We were able to participate in most of the moments organized, to be able to experience this event in depth, communion, and joy. We therefore, wish to share, through the words of the Novices, what this experience meant for us.
Preparation
How did you prepare yourself personally and how did you prepare in community to experience this great moment?
For the canonization of our Saint, I personally prepared myself by reading her biography Jungle, Country of the Heart, allowing myself to be amazed by her humanity and courage. As a community, we lived the expectation for this day together learning different songs about her in various languages, praying the novena, organizing different games and activities for young people to make it easier for them to get to know her figure, and also painting a banner to make us visible in St. Peter’s Square. Apart from the organizational aspects, I think that the various moments experienced together with the entire Institute helped us a lot in preparing our hearts, from the opening of the celebrations with the exhibit and testimonies, to the meeting with the young people from many Provinces, to the prayer vigil. We could really feel that Maria Troncatti is our saint and everyone’s Saint!
Among the various interventions during the opening moment of the celebrations, what touched you most?
What touched me most was when Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni compared Sister Maria Troncatti and Saint Artemide Zatti, pointing out that these recent Saints in the Salesian Family were both nurses. He said that today we have the same task as these Saints of ours, “to heal the world”.
Exhibit
The exhibit aims to be an itinerary, through three words and three images, that introduces us into the heart of God through which Sister Maria Troncatti brought others together: the WINGS, a sign of those who flew to give themselves; the CROSS, a sign of God’s care and the motivation for which Mary gave herself; the ARMS, a sign of the concreteness of love.
How did these three elements of Sister Maria’s life impact your life?
These three key words helped and spoke strongly to me. They made me think of the courage and boldness with which she could dream big and overcome her fears with the help of the Lord. It was beautiful to see that the source of her courage and joy was Jesus in the Eucharist, whom she met every day before going to visit and treat the sick. Jesus was the center of her life and that is precisely why she gave herself so generously to others and loved without measure. Another thing that impacted me was that there was no inopportune time for her when it came for the good of others. When she was called, whether it was day or night, she went immediately.
Afternoon in Cinecittà with SYM Italy
Express in three words, the afternoon with the young people of SYM Italy in Cinecittà.
JOY: for the beauty of seeing so many young people who arrived in Rome specifically for Sister Maria Troncatti and because it was truly a carefree and “courtyard” afternoon!
ENCOUNTER: it was wonderful to meet many people and many young people in a joyful and festive atmosphere.
GRATITUDE: to be able to listen to the testimonies, especially that of Mr. Cosimo, who as a young Salesian missionary coadjutor lived the last moments of Sister Maria’s life. A true grace to hear him talk about a Saint he really knew!
Vigil
The basilica of St. John Bosco full of young people, the presence of the Rector Major, the testimony of Juwá Bosco, the goodnight of Mother General… all to watch together while waiting for the day of Canonization. What hope do you carry in your heart for those young people who have come here to Rome?
The gift of peace from the Lord in their hearts. It is He who is capable of bringing peace wherever they go, to every person they meet. It is a peace that comes from a heart that has discovered the love of God, and thus becomes capable of dreaming and wanting good for others. When I looked at them all together, when I heard the words of Mother Chiara, of the Rector Major, of Juwá Bosco, I understood what the people are like (in this case through Sister Maria) who live in the love of God. They are capable of giving themselves and give peace, so much so as to leave the joy of a grateful heart in every person with whom they meet.
Canonization in St. Peter’s Square
Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator for the causes of the saints of the Salesian Family, spoke of the canonization as an ecclesial event on the day the celebrations began. In light of these words, how did you experience the Eucharist of Canonization in a St. Peter’s Square packed with people?
Participating in the canonization of a saint is a source of joy! Having the grace to proclaim seven new saints is bearing witness to a rainbow of hope. It is God who, in His immense goodness, opens to us, in the given life of these friends of Christ, the doors of holiness and grants us the gift of discovering the testimony of men and women, lay and consecrated, entirely configured to Christ. It is bearing witness to the universality of such a diverse Church, but united in a single mission, to be a sign of God’s love.
After getting up early and waiting hours to meet the Pope, what makes you say, “it was worth it”?
The audience of gratitude with the Pope, after the solemn celebration of the canonization the day before, truly helps to let all impressions and emotions settle and to realize how great this event is for our Institute. Six hours of waiting passed very quickly. Do you think Salesians can get bored? Certainly not! Between prayer, playing, singing, and various meetings with Sisters, young people, and acquaintances… we welcomed the words of the Holy Father with an ardent heart. It’s true that they were few, but precious to us like pearls!
Eucharist of gratitude at Saint Paul Outside the Walls
During the homily, Cardinal Fr. Angel spoke of a concrete holiness when speaking of the new Saint; of hands that heal, feet that walk, smiles that welcome. How do these words resonate in you, as a young woman in formation?
His words remind me of various significant aspects: the dimension of service and active charity; missionary dynamism, walking and building step by step in fidelity to the vocation; the smile that comes from a serene faith and a heart that trusts in God. It’s a bit as if Sister Maria Troncatti were telling me, “Let your hands become instruments of love; let your feet carry the Gospel; and let your smile be the first proclamation of God’s goodness.”
Resonance in the apostolate
What resonance did this event have in the parish realities you encounter?
In some of the parishes where, as novices, we go to do apostolate, we have been asked to present the figure of this new Saint. Some of us have therefore committed ourselves to creating skits, games for children, formation sessions for adults, to ensure that many people could discover Sister Maria Troncatti. From the interested participation and the curious questions asked of us, we seem to be able to say that, once again, this Saint has touched many hearts!
