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!
___________________________
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