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Encountering Each Other

Olinda Maria

The work of the Maria Auxiliadora Clinic in Venilale is a great example of how missionaries and local communities work together to address grassroots issues. In a small village near Venilale, Olinda Maria is the wife of the chief of the village of Fatulia, a very well-respected position in the local community.

Encountering Each Other

Fernanda

Fernanda, a 17-year-old culinary student from Venilale, Timor-Leste, is a testament to the power of resilience and determination. Growing up in a family with five children and losing her mother at an early age, Fernanda has never allowed her circumstances to deter her from setting her way to her own independence by pursuing her passion for hospitality and education.

Encountering Each Other

Madalena

Madalena*, 16 years old, is a determined and passionate young girl from Timor-Leste. Born into a modest family in a rural village near Venilale, she has always been driven by her desire to further her education and learn how to cook and bake. Despite financial limitations, Madalena remains steadfast in her pursuit of a career in hospitality. Her determination and resilience shine through as she strives to overcome obstacles and turn her passion into a reality.

Encountering Each Other

Sr Alma

Sr Alma Castagna is the Provincial of the Salesian Sisters in Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Growing up in Italy, Sr Alma studied medicine to become a doctor. Guided by her faith, she decided to join the Mission and dedicate her life to serving others, as an act of selflessness.

Encountering Each Other

Sr Carolina

Sr Carolina Maria Correia is a Salesian Sister. Originally from a small village an hour away from Venilale, she knew her calling at the age of seventeen when she discovered the life and Mission of the Salesian Sisters.

Encountering Each Other

Meet our Ethiopia Partners

Meet our Mission partners who are on the ground in Ethiopia. Fr Habte, Cardinal Souraphiel, Fr Tekle Mekonnen, María José Morales Jurado, and Sr Carmen Sammut

Encountering Each Other

Meet Sr Louise of the Good Shepherd Sisters

Born and raised in Ireland, Sr Louise knew she wanted to support those in need from a young age, when a missionary Sister came to speak at her school and shared her experiences. When she turned 18, Sister Louise followed the call and joined the Good Shepherd Sisters.

Encountering Each Other

Sr Chalaad of the Good Shepherd Sisters

For more than 50 years, women and children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds have turned to the Good Shepherd Sisters for love and support. In all that time, the message has been the same: “One person is of more value than the whole world”. It’s a phase repeated on posters and message boards, and written on the walls of the home, in Bangkok, Thailand, where mothers seek refuge to care for their babies.

Encountering Each Other

Meet Bishop Enrique "Kike" Figaredo Alvargonzalez

The man that we, and all at the Arrupe Centre, know as Bishop "Kike", was born Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzalez, in the north of Spain. From early in his life he witnessed seismic shifts in the social and political landscape of his homeland under the dictatorship of General Franco. He considered following his father into the Spanish Navy but felt a strong calling to the priesthood after attending a youth synod in Taizé, France. There he experienced what he refers to as his “enlightenment”, realising he wanted to be closer to people in need and to help them personally.

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About

Olinda Maria

Fernanda

Madalena

Sr Alma

Sr Carolina

Meet our Ethiopia Partners

Meet Sr Louise of the Good Shepherd Sisters

Sr Chalaad of the Good Shepherd Sisters

Meet Bishop Enrique "Kike" Figaredo Alvargonzalez

Donate

Our Work

Get Involved

News & Media

About

Olinda Maria

Fernanda

Madalena

Sr Alma

Sr Carolina

Meet our Ethiopia Partners

Meet Sr Louise of the Good Shepherd Sisters

Sr Chalaad of the Good Shepherd Sisters

Meet Bishop Enrique "Kike" Figaredo Alvargonzalez

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