The objective was to assess educational development, project sustainability, and explore synergies for the new generations in a young country (average age 22) facing high poverty and urgent need for schools.
The visit included the new Canossa Youth Training Centre in Atauro (opened February 2025), training 60 young people annually in hospitality and tourism with 100% employment placement.
“Timor-Leste is a country ‘at the ends of the earth’… and precisely because it is at the ends of the earth, it is at the centre of the Gospel!”
(Pope Francis, Dili, September 2024)
Historical Context
For nearly five centuries under colonial domination (Portuguese 1512-1975, Japanese 1942-1945, Indonesian 1975-1999) and after a violent transition period, since 19 May 2002 Timor-Leste has been an independent nation able to finally imagine and build its future. A young country and people (average age 22) but with high poverty rates and great need for schools and educational infrastructure. Despite natural resources (oil and gas) not yet fully exploited, the population largely lives from subsistence agriculture.
Timor-Leste represents a unique missionary context: a deeply Catholic nation living on the geographical and economic periphery, requiring strong missionary and humanitarian support to face social and economic challenges and sustain development. The long-standing Canossian presence, alongside the entire Catholic Church, plays a fundamental role in education and vocational training for new generations, healthcare assistance, and care and protection of orphans.
Visit Objectives
Deepening knowledge of the many Canossian realities embodying this presence today, sharing perspectives and imagining possible development for some of them, evaluating and considering possible actions and synergies to improve sustainability of certain works: this and much more were the goals of my visit to Timor-Leste.
From Monday 23 February to Saturday 14 March, I lived a very intense and immersive experience in the Canossian mission “at the ends of the earth”, in a country and among a people who since 1879 have witnessed the resilient presence of Canossian sisters. An “ancient” mission with a young spirit embodied by Timor-Leste Canossian sisters, forged by countless trials overcome through the centuries and nourished by the martyrdom of Sr. Erminia Cazzaniga and Sr. Celeste Pinto de Carvalho (25 September 1999).
When asked how my visit to the Canossian realities of Timor-Leste was, I reply: “Very intense from every perspective: physical, emotional… and missionary outlook”. The nearly two days of travel from Italy to reach the island, visiting 14 of the 18 Canossian realities, long and often challenging transfers, countless and intense meetings both with various communities and with students, teachers, and girls from the different boarding schools proved demanding. This physical commitment was abundantly rewarded by the great human richness of the people met, their warm welcome and illuminating smiles, the countless mutual sharings and reflections on all daily aspects of both communities and works.
Impossible to condense into a few words and images such wealth of humanity, missionary experience, natural and social contexts, the many convivial moments (dances, songs, birthdays, cooking together) that taste of family. Every reality visited, every encounter transformed into an intensely emotional experience leaving indelible traces in the soul.
From My Travel Diary
Written during long journeys between one community and another: “Timor-Leste’s future walks along the edges of the roads but at the centre of life. It has the face, hands, and feet of children and youth who pour like a river onto the roads from their homes to school. Barefoot and smiling, they walk through life”.
A previous visitor wrote: “Timor-Leste is beautiful because there are so many children: you are a young country where in every corner you feel life pulsing and bursting forth. This is a gift, a great gift: the presence of so much youth and so many children constantly renews our energy and our life. But even more it is a sign, because making space for children, for the little ones, welcoming them, caring for them, and making ourselves small before God and one another, are precisely the attitudes that open us to the Lord’s action”. (Pope Francis, Dili, September 2024)
Atauro Vocational Training Centre
“Success”, a word, an auspicious omen, but also the name of the boat on which, with Sr. Dulce, we embarked to reach Atauro island where we visited the new Canossa Youth Training Centre opened in February 2025. Here, approximately sixty girls and boys annually are trained to work in catering and hospitality, become tourism operators, or work in business administration. Coming largely from extremely poor families, students’ education costs are partly covered by various local entities.
To ensure course regularity and thus adequate, quality vocational training, it is also necessary to guarantee dignified salaries for teachers. The high employment rate of youth after training confirms the precious contribution to the economic and social development of the entire island. Every donation plants the future in the lives of these young people and an entire community.
At the Ends of the Earth but at the Centre of the Gospel
The days of this long visit draw to a close. Time to pack. The suitcase, filled with countless Tais scarves (traditional Timorense fabric) given at every meeting, some packets of coffee, and other tokens of affection, closes with difficulty.
Time for one last visit, as important and precious as her entire life dedicated to this land and people. I visit Sr. Maria Chioda, the last Italian missionary, in a Dili clinic: whispered words and a quick smile. She would conclude her earthly existence a few days after my departure, but will remain forever alive in the countless people she accompanied and helped grow and flourish, securing a future for an ancient but constantly renewing mission.
Countless handshakes, hugs, kisses, last quick words, countless photos, then departure. Head and heart crowded with thoughts, images, emotions bearing the faces of all the people met who will belong to my life forever. As the plane takes off, my mind flies to tomorrow, dreaming of another stretch of road to walk together in this land at the ends of the world but at the centre of the Gospel and thus at the centre of life!
Heartfelt thanks to all Canossian sisters who welcomed me into their lives and hearts.
Giancarlo Urbani
Projects Manager – Canossian VOICA-ETS Foundation
