DID YOU KNOW THAT….

Sr. Maria Troncatti wanted to be a missionary among the lepers? However her superiors sent her to
Ecuador. This had been ‘foretold’ to her by a fifteen-year-old girl, Marina Luzzi, that she was caring
for in the infirmary of Nizza Monferrato. She had bilateral pneumonia and died on March 14, 1922
(cf. Collino M., La grazia di un sì tutto donato. Maria Troncatti, missionaria nella foresta
amazzonica, Leumann TO, Elledici 2012, 62-64).

Sr. Maria Troncatti wrote letters, not only on paper, but also on photos? Four examples have
survived and can be seen in the photographic insert in the published book of her letters (cf. Lettere
di Sr. M.Troncatti fma missionaria in Ecuador a cura di sr Sylwia Ciezkowska, Istituto FMA 2013,
284-287).

In 1922, when Sr. Maria left Italy for the missions, she was 49 years old? She then worked in
Ecuador for a further 47 years and, although she could have, she never returned to her homeland.
The title of her first biography was very meaningful: Jungle, homeland of my heart, by Sr. Domenica
Grassiano.

Sr. Maria Troncatti collaborated with the magazine “Gioventù Missionaria” (Missionary youth),
writing articles based on her experience? Thanks to this collaboration twelve of her letters have
been preserved, of which the originals have been lost. (cf Lettere di Sr. Maria Troncatti, ibid,
Introduzione, 15-17)

In the FMA Institute there are 8 houses dedicated to Blessed Sr. Maria Troncatti? The first was
opened in 1978 at Quito, Ecuador and the most recent in 2014 at Seoul (Korea). In total there are 3
houses in America, in Africa 3 houses, in Asia 1 house and in Europe 1 house (Cf. The complete list
at the end of this article (Appendix)

Sr. Maria Troncatti was declared blessed at Macas, on November 24, 2012 (Solemnity of Christ the
King) by the delegate of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Angelo Amato, in the presence of
almost all the bishops of Ecuador, Mother Yvonne Reungoat (Mother General of the FMA), and
some General Councillors, Fr. Adriano Bregolin (vicar of the Rector Major of the SDB), relations of
the Blessed and numerous representatives of the Salesian Family, adults and young people who
had come from all over the world?

Some people baptised by Sr. Maria Troncatti are still alive and they speak with gratitude of her
motherly goodness? They were present among the crowd of faithful at Macas on the day of her
beatification, clasping their documents in their hands on which were written: “Mazzarello…”,
“Rodondi….” These surnames are a living memorial of her in this world.

On December 23, 2012 (one month after her beatification) in the Parish of Corteno Golgi1 a
community day of thanksgiving for the beatification of Sr. Maria Troncatti, was celebrated in the
presence of Bishop Luciano Monari of Brescia? On this occasion a plaque was unveiled beside the
baptismal font where Sr. Maria was baptised:
In this baptismal font
On February 17, 1883
MARIA BENVENUTA TRONCATTI
was born to Christian life
From September 17, 1908 she was a professed religious
in the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians,
a missionary in Ecuador from 1922
until her death, which took place on August 25, 1969
as a heroic and indefatigable apostle of the Gospel
she gave her whole life
with the heart of a mother and a spirit of sacrifice.
She was declared Blessed on November 24, 2012

On February 17, 2013, on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Sr. Maria Troncatti a
plaque was inaugurated at the house where she was born?
In this house, on February 16, 1883 Sr. Maria Benvenuta Troncatti was born and spent her
adolescence. She became an indefatigable missionary in the Amazonian jungle of Ecuador, and died
on August 25, 1969. She was proclaimed Blessed on November 24, 2012

Fr Alessandro Nana, present Parish Priest of Corteno has created, in the parish bulletin,
“Camminiamo insieme” the saint’s corner, in which he periodically publishes her letters?
APPENDIX
1
Sr Maria Troncatti’s native parish.
FMA houses dedicated to Blessed Sr. Maria Troncatti
Foundation
House
Nation
Province
1.
1978
Quito Cumbayá
Ecuador
ECU
2.
2011
Brazzaville
Congo Braz.
AEC
3.
2012
Nitra
Slovakia
SLK
4.
2012
Gumbo - Juba
South Sudan
AES
5.
2013
Tolo
Dem. Rep. Congo
AFC
6.
2013
Santiago Renca
Chile
CIL
7.
2013
Karare
Kenya
AFE
8.
2014
Seoul
Korea
KOR