Blessed Maria Troncatti, FMA,
to Be Canonized
(ANS – Vatican City – November 25, 2024) – On November 25, Pope Francis received Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in audience. During the meeting, the Holy Father authorized the promulgation of the decree concerning the miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Maria Troncatti, FMA, born in Corteno Golgi, Italy, on February 16, 1883, and deceased in Sucua, Ecuador, on August 25, 1969.
With this act, Pope Francis has paved the way
for the canonization of Bl. Maria Troncatti. The date for the canonization will
be decided during an ordinary consistory.
“This news is a reason to give thanks to God
and brings great joy to the entire Salesian Family, especially the Daughters of
Mary Help of Christians, the diocese of Brescia, which gave birth to the future
saint, and the vicariate apostolic of Mendez, Ecuador, where Maria Troncatti
carried out her missionary work. Her canonization is a sign of hope for her
powerful witness of transmitting life and faith to new generations and the
indigenous peoples of the Amazon forest, which became her ‘homeland of the heart.’
She was a woman of reconciliation and peace, with a maternal spirit that
touched hearts,” commented Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, postulator general.
Maria Troncatti was born in Corteno Golgi
(Brescia) on February 16, 1883. As a young girl, she actively participated in
parish catechesis and received the sacraments, developing a deep Christian
faith that opened her to a religious vocation. Inspired by the Salesian
Bulletin, Maria considered religious life. Out of obedience to her father
and her pastor, she waited until she came of age to request admission to the Daughters
of Mary Help of Christians. She made her first profession in 1908 at Nizza
Monferrato. During World War I (1915–1918), Sister Maria trained in healthcare
in Varazze and worked as a Red Cross nurse in a military hospital.
After surviving a flood, she vowed to the
Virgin Mary that she would dedicate her life to missionary work if she was
saved. In 1922, Mother General Caterina Daghero sent her to Ecuador. Sister
Maria spent three years in Chunchi before venturing into the Amazon rainforest
alongside Bishop Comin and a small expedition. She and two other sisters
established their mission among the Shuar people in southeastern Ecuador,
initially settling in Macas, a village surrounded by Shuar settlements.
Sister Maria faced numerous challenges, from the dangers posed by wildlife and turbulent rivers to the complexities of evangelization. In Macas, Sevilla Don Bosco, and Sucua, her efforts blossomed. She served as a nurse, surgeon, orthopedist, dentist, anesthetist, and most important, as catechist and evangelizer, displaying deep faith, patience, and sisterly love. Her work for the empowerment of Shuar women led to the formation of hundreds of new Christian families, with couples marrying out of personal choice for the first time. Known as the “doctor of the jungle,” she tirelessly worked for human and spiritual development, especially for women. She founded a hospital, trained nurses, and fostered reconciliation between settlers and the Shuar community.
On August 25, 1969, at the age of 86, Sister
Maria died in a plane crash near Sucua. She had devoted her life to love and
service, even offering herself for reconciliation between settlers and the
Shuar people. She once wrote, “Every day, I am happier with my missionary
religious vocation!”
Declared Venerable on November 12, 2008, she was beatified on November 24, 2012, during the pontificate of Benedict XVI in Macas in the vicariate apostolic of Mendez, Ecuador.
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| Priests and people assembled for Sister Maria's beatification in Macas |
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