East Timor. To fully welcome the gift of Holiness, which God gave to the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and to the Church through Sister Maria Troncatti, Canonized on 19 October 2025, Mary Mazzarello Province (TIN) organized various activities, initiatives, and celebrations with the aim of spreading the life and virtues of the new Saint among the population of East Timor, in particular among young people and children. At the Provincial level, each Community has therefore tried to promote it according to its own creativity and possibilities.
On 20 September, at the SYM Forum, a formation on holiness was held to introduce it to young people, inviting them to get to know and to feel part of the canonization event.
At a national level, the FMA – Sister Alexandrina Pinto, FMA and Sister Ina Sarmento Guterres – were also invited by the media GMNTV (National Media Group) and TV TVET to talk about her vocation as an FMA and missionary, her mission, her cause of beatification and canonization, and other related topics. Sister Luiza Fernandes and Sister Alexandrina Pinto FMA also involved the students of Mary Help of Christians primary school in Dili Comoro, to talk about Sister Maria Troncatti through the TV Education channel (TVET), with the reading of texts, poems, and dances about her life, vocation, and mission created by them.
On the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the CNJCTL (National Commission of Catholic Youth of East Timor), the FMA also had the opportunity to carry out vocational promotion activities, so that the postulants, together with girls and young people, could spread the figure and share the testimony of Mr. Juwa Bosco’s miracle among the young people of other Congregations.
In addition to socialization in the media, sharing activities were carried out at the provincial level with Salesian families in Dili. On 4 – 5 October, during the missionary camp for children, the Sisters of the Equipe Ad Gentes, presented Sister Maria’s life as a Christian, FMA religious and missionary to the approximately 350 participants. The children were divided into three groups with different themes: the Mother group, in which the aspect of motherhood was presented; the Artisan of Peace and Reconciliation group, which explained the work she carried out among the Shuar population and the settlers; the Missionary group, on her missionary experience in Ecuador.
On 10 and 11 October at the Feast of Gratitude of the TIN Province, opportunities were also offered to the Educating Community and to some clerics and Salesians present. The Sisters presented the history of the Saint, also thanks to the material made available by the Institute on the website of Maria Troncatti, translated into the local Tetum language. Participants prepared for the great Canonization event with prayer, confessions, and a pilgrimage to Dili Cathedral.
On 19 October 2025, Canonization Day, almost all the communities of the Province followed the live broadcast from the Vatican with anticipation and joy.
On 20 October 2025, the 14 communities of the Province celebrated the Eucharist in honor of Saint Maria Troncatti. Four communities from the capital of Dili, together with members of the Salesian Family and the Salesian Confreres of Dili, celebrated Holy Mass in the evening with the parishioners of Mary Help of Christians parish. Before the celebration, Sister Ermelinda Gomes presented a video with the story of Sister Maria and the testimony of Mr. Juwa Bosco. The Provincial Vicar, Fr. Manuel Pinto who presided over the Eucharist, in his homily underlined the simplicity in Sister Maria Troncatti’s “yes”. “This makes her a saint.”
He also underlined some of her characteristics. She is a good mother, because she has a maternal heart that leads her to take care of the children of the Amazon. She welcomes them with love and without looking at color. She is a catechist, because she crossed the river and went on horseback to bring them the good news and make Jesus known. She is an educator because by educating she restores their dignity. She is a nurse, not only for the body, but she also heals spiritual wounds. She is an extraordinary missionary, who offers herself totally for the good of the people of Ecuador, which is why she says, “I am very happy here and happy to die here.”
Local communities also organized various activities to celebrate this great feast of Holiness. A competition on Sister Maria Troncatti was held in the oratories for young people and children and the event of Canonization continues to be kept alive in schools and among groups and parishes, to bring this scent of Holiness even to such a distant land, to make people love the new Saint and imitate her virtues.
