East Timor Region (ETR)

In the morning of March 26, the Communidade Amigos de Jesus had a groundbreaking ceremony for their new school at the property beside the Jesuit Residence. The Portuguese Ambassador came since most of the money is coming from the Portuguese government. The Society bought the land and will retain ownership, giving Communidade Amigos de Jesus full use of the land without rent. It was a pleasant affair with singing and dancing with drums.

Visit YouTube and listen to Ilha Timor Nia Orosaum (The Prayer of Timor Island). It’s a beautiful song, a prayer for peace in East Timor, composed and performed by Sch. Savio Freitas (ETR). The clip features footages by Indonesian journalist Agus Muliawan, who was killed in East Timor while accompanying nuns on the way to visit refugees.

Fr John Mace went to Singapore to visit the East Timorese novices last December 20-22. On December 23 he arrived in Korea for the Korean Province Congregation and returned to Dili on January 2.

On January 1st, he officially became the East Timor Regional Superior.

After a much-delayed flight from Manila, Fr John Mace arrived in Dili last November 18. He started to acquaint himself with the people and the place, in preparation for his work as Major Superior of the Independent Region of East Timor. Officially, he starts his job on New Year’s Day 2007.

In the afternoon of December 04, Nossas Memorias de Vida em Timor was launched. Written by Frs Joao Felgueiras and Jose Alves Martins, the book is the authors’ account of all that happened in East Timor from 1975 to the present. Among the guests were the President Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister José Ramos Horta, Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Baucau, and Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili. Fr John Mace also witnessed the event. The book was published in Braga, Portugal.

In Fr General’s letter to Fr Nicolas last August 11, Fr General appointed Fr. John Mace as Regional Superior of East Timor, extending his personal thanks and encouragements to Fr. Mace. To Fr Mace our gratitude for his generosity in accepting this new mission and our prayers that he be guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit in facing the challenges of the Region. Fr Mace will officially begin his duties in mid-November 2006.

On June 3, Fr. Dibyawiyata, Local Superior, wrote: It has been more than one month that we have been living in our Loyola residence with a much bigger community. The number of refugees has been changing depending on the situation.

Sch. Bert Boholst wrote on May 31: Here is an update of what is going on at Colegio de Sao Jose (CSJ), East Timor.

So far, we are the only school in the whole of Dili where classes are going on, in the middle of hearsays, chaos and danger. The local newspapers have noted it and even the international media came to our school. Fr. Edu (Ratu Dopo) is on the move, giving almost daily briefing to students and faculty.

The East Timores Jesuits celebrates mass for the martyrs, on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Fr. Carolus Albrecht Karim Arbi, SJ and Fr. Tarcicius Dewanto, SJ, both are martyrs in East Timor, who died in 1999. They were buried in the compound of the Jesuit Residence, Taibesi Dili.

Fr. Nicolas and his Socius are away from the office, from September 16 until September 30, visitng East Timor for some meetings with several apostolate groups. Another important event during this visit will be the last vows of Fr. Lalo Lebron Casanello, SJ on September 27.