Salesian Family Celebrates the Canonization of St. Maria Troncatti

Among the seven new saints declared by the Church is St. Maria Troncatti, an FMA

Sister and missionary in Ecuador, alongside St. Peter To Rot, the first-ever Papuan

saint, a catechist martyred during World War II for defending the sanctity of

marriage and the Christian faith.

The Salesian Family worldwide joyfully marked the canonization of St. Maria

Troncatti, FMA, under the inspiring theme “A holiness that generates life with a

missionary heart.” In Honiara, a thanksgiving Mass was held at the Mary Mazzarello

Development Centre RTC (MMDC) to commemorate this historic event.

The Mass was presided over by Fr. Raphael Galve, SDB, and concelebrated by Fr.

Peter Chele (Vicar General), Fr. Jim Nolan, Fr. Brian, Fr. Robinson Parapilly, and Fr.

Simon. The celebration became a vivid reminder that holiness is not an unreachable

ideal, but a daily choice, a way of living love through action.

In his homily, Fr. Raphael Galve reminded the faithful that “holiness is possible; it is

a choice we make every day.” He explained that every Christian is called to a form of

martyrdom, whether “red,” through the shedding of blood, or “white,” through daily

sacrifice and perseverance in love. “Every day,” he said, “we choose whether to live

for ourselves or for God.”

Fr. Raphael shared a striking story:

“A parishioner once came to a priest holding a knife and said, ‘Father, forgive me. I

killed a man. We argued because he said there is God, and I said there is no God.

Now tell me, Father, is there a God?’ The priest replied, ‘I don’t know.’”

The silence in that response, Fr. Raphael said, reminds us that faith is not merely

spoken but lived, through love, endurance, and witness.

He reflected on the life of St. Maria Troncatti, a Salesian Sister and missionary nurse

who left her homeland in 1922 to serve in the Amazon region of Ecuador. With deep

faith and compassion, she healed bodies and hearts, bringing peace and hope to

those in need. Her life of service ended tragically in a plane crash in 1969. “She gave

everything,” said Fr. Raphael, “even her life but above all, she gave it day by day.”

Turning to daily Christian life, he asked, “Many of us do great service in school and

in church but what about our family?” He reminded the faithful that holiness

begins at home in forgiveness, patience, and self-giving. “When we look at the

crucifix, we see love,” he concluded.

“This love must become the language of ourlives. Whatever you do for the least of your brothers and sisters, you do for Christ.”

After the Mass, students of the Mary Mazzarello Development Centre presented a

moving dramatization of St. Maria Troncatti’s life from her childhood in Italy,

through her missionary years in the Amazon, to her heroic death. The performance

beautifully portrayed her courage, compassion, and unwavering faith.

Sr. Claudia Aragone, FMA, concluded the program by recounting the miraculous

healing that led to St. Maria Troncatti’s canonization.

The celebration ended with a joyful community meal, as participants expressed

gratitude for the life and example of St. Maria Troncatti.

May St. Maria Troncatti intercede for us all, that we too may become saints not through grand deeds, but through faithful love lived each day.