Visit of Mother Chiara Cazzuola to Province ECU

Quito (Ecuador). In a spirit of family and great joy, from 11 to 27 April 2026, Sacred Heart Province (ECU) welcomed Mother Chiara Cazzuola, Superior General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, to Ecuador to celebrate the World Feast of Gratitudine with the theme, “Be missionaries everywhere.” The purpose of her presence was to animate the life and mission of the communities, strengthen communion, and closely accompany the sisters, young people, and laypeople on the shared journey of the Salesian Charism.

Upon her arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito on 11 April, Mother Chiara was warmly welcomed by the Provincial, Sister Lupe Erazo; by Msgr. Alfredo Espinoza Mateus, SDB, Archbishop of Quito and Primate of Ecuador; by Fr. Marcelo Farfán, Provincial of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province (ECU) of the Salesians of Don Bosco; and by members of the FMA and SDB Provincial Councils. (Program of the visit)

Subsequently, Sacred Heart community at the Quito Provincial House welcomed her with a simple celebration, attended by the local communities of Quito, the Archbishop, the Provincial, and several SDBs. During a moment of fraternal sharing, Mother Chiara expressed her joy at arriving in Ecuador, “The World Day of Gratitude is always a significant occasion, but this year it is even more special to celebrate it with you, in the land that witnessed the growth of holiness and that formed Saint Maria Troncatti.”

On 12 April, Mother officially began her pilgrimage in the Country with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Monsignor Alfredo Espinoza Mateus. During her journey through the Province, the initial days featured meetings with the Educating Communities and moments of dialogue with the sisters, specifically with the Provincial Council, the Community Animators, and the group of young sisters. During these encounters, she offered guidance focused on consecrated life, community life, shared mission, and the need to build generative communities capable of accompanying, discerning, and integrating.

The visit continued on 14 April in Cumbayá, where she visited several significant institutions, including the Saint Maria Troncatti Retirement Home, the Aspirancy and Postulancy Community, and Maria Ausiliatrice House of Spirituality, sharing moments with the sisters and encouraging them in their fidelity to their vocation. Subsequently, she participated in the meeting for the Country’s Northern Zone, joining delegations from the Educating Communities and groups of the Salesian Family, thereby strengthening the bonds of communion and their commitment to the educational mission.

On 15 April at Quito, she visited Cardenal Spellman Bilingual Special Educational Unit, where she shared a moment of celebration with the Educating Community and participated in the Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the Provincial, Fr. Marcelo Farfán, in the presence of various groups of the Salesian Family. Subsequently, she met with the Educating Communities of the Northern Zone, the Sierra, and the Center of the Country.

At Cuenca, on 16 and 17 April, Mother experienced intense days of encounters with the two Educating Communities, the Salesian Family, and the young people, days marked by significant moments such as the gathering of the Austro Zone, featuring the performance of the play “Sister Maria Troncatti: Mother and Missionary”, and the blessing within the Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians of an altar dedicated to the new Saint, accompanied by the placement of her relics as a living sign of faith, a tribute to her joyful witness as a consecrated woman, and a recognition of her missionary dedication on behalf of the most needy.

At Guayaquil, on 18 and 19 April, she was welcomed by the Communities of the Coast, where she visited educational works, youth centers, and the Salesian Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, sharing moments with young people, educators, pastoral workers, various groups of the Salesian Family, and young volunteers serving in the Salesian communities. These encounters were characterized by closeness, attentive listening, and a strong family spirit. On the 19^th, she spent the day with delegations from the coastal region, hailing from Manta, Playas, and Guayaquil, with the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Cardinal Luis Cabrera Herrera, Archbishop of Guayaquil, as well as an artistic and cultural program led by the youth, and a celebratory toast. These events took place within the context of the World Day of Gratitude and the 150^th anniversary of the first FMA missionary expedition.

On returning to Quito on 20 April, she visited the Salesian Center for Permanent Formation America (CSFPA), where, listening to the Community and the formation team, she familiarized herself with the Center’s formation program and methodology. Mother encouraged the Community to continue its service in support of formation with an ‘Oratorian heart.’

On 21 April, her arrival in the Ecuadorian Amazon marked a particularly significant moment, as it allowed her to rediscover the missionary roots of the Institute in a land shaped by the witness of Saint Maria Troncatti. In this context, Mother Chiara visited the places where the Saint lived, served, and gave her life as a consecrated missionary, especially among the Shuar people, experiencing with deep intensity each of these spaces, which are steeped in history and spiritual significance. Here, she visited the Communities of S. Marianna di Gesù in Chiguaza, Maria Ausiliatrice in Sevilla Don Bosco, and Maria Immacolata in Macas, participating in the Eucharist at the Purisima National Sanctuary.

From Macas, on 22 April, Mother Chiara finally reached Sucúa, where she was welcomed by San Domenico Savio Community, to visit the places where Sister Maria Troncatti lived, worked, and gave her life with love and fidelity, places where her presence remains palpable, specifically the St. Maria Troncatti House Museum, the Chapel of the Relics, and the Cross marking the site of the accident.

From 24 to 26 April, the Day of the Feast of Gratitude, she then participated in the festivities held between Sucúa and Macas, joined by General Councilor Sister Marta Riccioli and the Provincials from the Americas.

During her visit, the Mother left a clear message: to live one’s vocation with joy, to strengthen communion, to renew missionary commitment in the service of young people, especially the neediest, and to be “artisans” of peace, starting from one’s own daily environments.

Photos: Flickr FMA