In August, four Jesuit leaders from Timor-Leste to Melbourne and Sydney joined friends and supporters for a special Q&A discussion on their mission and ministry.
The Q&A offered a unique opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of transformation in education, teacher training, health, water and sanitation, and food security in Timor-Leste.
100 percent success
Fr Hyoe Murayama SJ, Director of NOSSEF Railaco Secondary School, shared extraordinary results that demonstrate the power of Catholic solidarity in action.
“On behalf of our school, I express our deepest gratitude to your generous support of over 20 years to our mission. Every year 100 percent of our year 12 students pass the national exam and have had over 1800 graduates.”
From classrooms without walls to a proper campus
Fr Calisto Seco Colo SJ, Principal of Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola (CSIL), described the dramatic transformation of Jesuit education in the capital.
“Our school began in 2013 with 78 students, three classrooms, no windows and no doors,” he said. “Now we have a beautifully constructed campus with 822 students… about 67 percent of them are girls. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support.”
Creating local leaders
Fr Isaias Caldas SJ, Rector of Instituto São João de Brito (ISJB), reflected on meeting Australians whose generosity makes higher education possible for Timorese students.
“It is quite overwhelming the sensation that I’m feeling to see people like you who have been behind the scenes supporting our missions. Seeing you eyes to eyes gives me more meaning to what I’m doing due to your generosity,” he said.
Clean water and sanitation reaching thousands
While education remains the cornerstone of the partnership, the Jesuit commitment to serving the whole person extends to addressing basic human needs.
Fr Julio Sousa SJ, Director of Jesuit Social Service, spoke of transformation at the grassroots.
“We have gradually given people from rural areas new opportunities, given them hope, given them life,” he said. “Five thousand people now have access to clean water and fifty families have newly built sanitation facilities, however, the success of a project should be measured by how many people’s lives we have touched.”
These infrastructure projects address critical health needs in rural communities where preventable diseases remain major challenges.
A partnership rooted in Ignatian spirituality
Jesuit Mission CEO Helen Forde emphasised that this partnership embodies the Ignatian principle of accompaniment – walking alongside the poor and marginalised as companions in their journey toward dignity and opportunity.
She also acknowledged the supporters who make this possible.
“The work that we do with our Jesuit partners doesn’t happen without your generosity, without your prayers, without your friendship, and without your solidarity,” she said.
In Sydney, the evening concluded with a moving cultural exchange: the Timorese Jesuits performed songs of gratitude and resilience, including a traditional song written during the fight for Timorese Independence.
The Jesuits reminded supporters that, as St Ignatius taught, we are called to “find God in all things” and walk together in companionship and solidarity.
View photos from the event in Sydney.
