Becora, June 13–14, 2025 – In an era when education calls for fresh perspectives and steadfast hearts, 45 Canossian Sisters from 18 educational communities gathered at the Provincial House in Becora, Timor-Leste, for a two-day seminar dedicated to ongoing formation. The event offered a rich space for deepening their shared educational mission, rooted in a charism that continues to inspire life and service.
Organised by the Provincial Council in alignment with the guidelines of the Congregation’s statutes, the gathering became a precious opportunity to renew competencies, engage with emerging educational challenges, and above all, strengthen the sense of belonging to a mission that still speaks profoundly to the world.
Opening the seminar was Mother Helena Boavida, Provincial Vicar, who welcomed the participants with words of encouragement and hope, reminding them that “ongoing formation is not merely a duty, but a form of mutual care and fidelity to the charism of Magdalene of Canossa.”
Themes Rooted in Reality, Illuminated by the Gospel
The days were marked by high-level presentations and meaningful fraternal exchanges. Among the key topics explored:
- The Canossian Pedagogy of the Heart, presented by Sr. Terezinha do MJ Guterres FdCC, who called for a return to what is essential: an education born of attentive listening and concrete love for the other—especially the most fragile.
- Generation Z and Its Challenges, with Fr. Isaias Caldas SJ, who offered a realistic portrait of today’s youth—hyperconnected yet thirsting for authenticity, longing for meaning and real relationships.
- Educational Leadership, led by Fr. Acacio Castro SDB, who provided tools for competent school leadership grounded in service and co-responsibility.
- The Role of Psychology in Education, with Fr. Calisto Seco SJ, who underscored the importance of understanding students’ inner processes in order to accompany them with wisdom and respect.
A Journey That Continues
Beyond its educational content, the seminar fostered spaces for dialogue, prayer, and discernment in an atmosphere of true communion among sisters united in the same mission: to “educate evangelically”, forming people with open hearts, discerning minds, and a spirit ready to serve.
The encounter was not simply a moment of professional development, but a genuine moment of spiritual renewal. The participants returned to their communities eager to sow what they had received—not only new knowledge, but also passion, care, and a prophetic educational vision.
A Simple Place, Alive with Hope
The seminar took place in Becora, a hillside district on the eastern edge of Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. Surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, dusty paths wind through humble homes and sincere smiles. The landscape shifts from glimpses of the sea to green expanses dotted with palm trees and fragrant frangipani. Roosters crow at dawn, and sunsets paint the sky in warm tones, reflecting a slow rhythm of life deeply rooted in the land and community.Here, nature lives side by side with daily simplicity: children playing barefoot in the streets, women selling fresh fruit along the roadside, and a Church that beats at the heart of the village—alive with relationships, service, and shared faith.In this context, the presence of the Canossian Sisters takes on an even deeper meaning: a quiet yet active sign of hope, where the beauty of creation meets the thirst for formation, dignity, and a future worth building. In a world that is changing rapidly, Canossian education stands firm as a living space where the formation of the heart remains central. And it is precisely in the simplicity of the everyday that these sisters continue to bear witness that “education is an act of charity.”
