From the 5th to the 8th of August this year, I was blessed to visit the Saint Anthony of Lisbon Foundation in Timor Leste. I found there a vibrant fraternity, which is growing and looking with hope towards the future. The fraternity currently consists of 23 solemnly professed brothers, 32 in simple vows, 3 novices, and 6 postulants spread out in seven different locations, including some that are truly missionary.
The Catholic faith is alive and lived out well there, amidst a simple and very welcoming people. I was particularly moved by the welcome I received there. The traditional rituals I engaged in with the local people have roots in their folklore but also beautifully expressed a unity of life, culture, and faith. Local people treasure their culture and draw their identity from their rich sense of tradition.
The Friars share in the local culture and take special care of the Young Secular Franciscan Community, founded in 1988. That was the year that three Indonesian Friars requested and received permission to move to Timor and live closely among the native people as missionaries. They learned the local language, the local mindset and inserted themselves well into the local culture. Closeness and attentive listening marked their style of life.
The last 36 years have seen this closeness between the Friars and the locals grow and deepen. The diverse pastoral presence of the Friars includes education along with a wonderful pastoral echo program, missionary work, and a continued effort to radically bring the Church’s mission right to the heart of ordinary people.
This small nation has fought long and hard for its independence, first from Portugal and then from Indonesia. Effects from the latest war can still be seen among the people as a whole and also on some of the individuals I encountered who have physical and emotional scars from the torture they endured. They are a small but determined people, willing to fight for their freedom and the ability to determine their own future. Truly the war has left profound wounds, but the people are strong and continue to move forward walking their journey together. They do not consider themselves doomed to repeat past wars but rather to learn from them how to move forward. It seems to me an important lesson for many of us to learn in today’s world.
Timor is rapidly changing these days. I couldn’t help but notice an economic growth along with what seems to be a gradual, growing secularization of the culture. Faith and devotion are strongest in the eldest who love their traditions. But our brothers are aware of this. It was most heartening, therefore, to see the Friars at work in the lives of the young people, enjoying growth in numbers also among that community.
The future looks good not only for the people of Timor but also for the Order and our mission to go out into the whole world. When one of our fraternities grows and flourishes, it is a blessing for all our Friars, spread throughout the world.
