austraLasia 1491
Obrigado barak Senhor Jose! Thanks a lot for 60 years in East Timor
LOSPALOS: 16th March 2006 -- 1946-2006, just in Timor. At 83 years of age, Senhor Giuse Ribeiro originally from Fatima, Portugal, is perhaps not sprightly, but still active, assisting the boys in the orphanage, teaching catechism in the local language, Fatalucu, which he speaks better than Tetum, and still the first in the chapel each morning. The 60th was celebrated in Lospalos parish in the presence of the Regional Councillor, Fr Klement, 400 parishioners, Religious from the parish and many children and past pupils.
After his perpetual profession, Bro Ribeiro decided for Timor and arrived there in the first group of five pioneers to follow the initial, but ultimately unsuccessful Salesian venture which included St. Callistus Caravario 20 years before. They stayed initially in Dili in the Bishops residence, then moved to take over the running of a primary school at Lahane. Bro Ribeiro, who at that stage had not completed high school, became a 'professor', instantly! He quickly won over the heart of the youngsters and learned the local dialect, Tetum. He was then transferred to Fuiloro where he came into contact with Fatalucu which became his real language from then on. He was in Fuiloro until just after 1975.
The war with Fretilin engulfed the area. He moved to a new location, called Ira-noko, now Lospalos. The Fuiloro school was closed from 1975-88 due to hostilities and he and his two confreres companions lived through all those years of unspeakable difficulty and cruelty of guerilla warfare.
At the celebration on 14th, Bro Ribeiro spoke for 15 minutes in Fatalucu. In particular he shared his personal experience and spoke of a local Lospalos girl, Giuletta Garcia, a student of his, who was killed in 1972. Like a local Maria Goretti she had escaped from a man who had attempted to rape her. She was eventually killed by a blow from an axe. Her Cause for Beatification has already been introduced at the local level by Bishop Basilio.
Brother Ribeiro's motto, 'Jesus is my love!', is one way he is preparing himself for heaven at 83 years of age. His other love is the rosary. In the meantime the chapel, the vegetable garden and the children learning catechism just can't do without him!
___________________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
Obrigado barak Senhor Jose! Thanks a lot for 60 years in East Timor
LOSPALOS: 16th March 2006 -- 1946-2006, just in Timor. At 83 years of age, Senhor Giuse Ribeiro originally from Fatima, Portugal, is perhaps not sprightly, but still active, assisting the boys in the orphanage, teaching catechism in the local language, Fatalucu, which he speaks better than Tetum, and still the first in the chapel each morning. The 60th was celebrated in Lospalos parish in the presence of the Regional Councillor, Fr Klement, 400 parishioners, Religious from the parish and many children and past pupils.
After his perpetual profession, Bro Ribeiro decided for Timor and arrived there in the first group of five pioneers to follow the initial, but ultimately unsuccessful Salesian venture which included St. Callistus Caravario 20 years before. They stayed initially in Dili in the Bishops residence, then moved to take over the running of a primary school at Lahane. Bro Ribeiro, who at that stage had not completed high school, became a 'professor', instantly! He quickly won over the heart of the youngsters and learned the local dialect, Tetum. He was then transferred to Fuiloro where he came into contact with Fatalucu which became his real language from then on. He was in Fuiloro until just after 1975.
The war with Fretilin engulfed the area. He moved to a new location, called Ira-noko, now Lospalos. The Fuiloro school was closed from 1975-88 due to hostilities and he and his two confreres companions lived through all those years of unspeakable difficulty and cruelty of guerilla warfare.
At the celebration on 14th, Bro Ribeiro spoke for 15 minutes in Fatalucu. In particular he shared his personal experience and spoke of a local Lospalos girl, Giuletta Garcia, a student of his, who was killed in 1972. Like a local Maria Goretti she had escaped from a man who had attempted to rape her. She was eventually killed by a blow from an axe. Her Cause for Beatification has already been introduced at the local level by Bishop Basilio.
Brother Ribeiro's motto, 'Jesus is my love!', is one way he is preparing himself for heaven at 83 years of age. His other love is the rosary. In the meantime the chapel, the vegetable garden and the children learning catechism just can't do without him!
___________________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
