Sister Ansila – Oecusse (Timor-Leste)
PROJECT 33 of 72
MISSION
Location
Diocese
Dili
Country
Timor-Leste
Continent
Asia
Coordinate GPS
-9.35274 124.21930
Time zone
UTC+9
CONGREGATION
Congregation
Istituto Figlie di San Francesco
Motherhouse
Borgo a Mozzano
Diocese
Lucca
Country
Italy
Continent
Europe
feast Congregation
3 October
Coordinate GPS
43.97939 10.54447
Time zone
UTC+1
Contact person
Sister Ansila
Mother General
Sister Ignazia Rancan
Website
TRAINING ORGANISATION
Name
Misericordia Borgo a Mozzano
Location
Borgo a Mozzano (LU)
Country
Italy
Continent
Europe
Coordinate GPS
43.97842 10.54188
Time zone
UTC+1
Start date
29/03/2022
End date
October 2022
Tutor
Lorena Mariani
REAL SPACE
Project manager
Sister Ansila
Start date
15 2022
Type
Bread of Mercy
Sister Ansila has developed a small social enterprise in her community centred on fish farming and funded entirely by spazio + spadoni. Unfortunately, the relentless rain between November 2022 and January 2023 delayed the transport and installation of the tanks, which were set up in spring 2023. In addition, the first 365 fish were placed in the tanks in May 2023, strictly separating the males from the females, and another 1,000 fish were added in July of the same year. The project continues to move forward and produce the hoped-for results. Fish are in great demand in the village, and their sale enables the community to finance itself.
Sister Ansila’s project began when her community made itself available to host two sisters arriving from Congo who would undertake the HIC SUM project training at Misericordia di Borgo a Mozzano.
Sister Ansila, who had been in Italy for several years, served daily at the Congregation’s nursery school and was also involved in pastoral work and activities for young people. In addition, she was a volunteer with the Misericordia di Borgo a Mozzano, where she often provided social services and activities for elderly residents of the care home located at the Convento di San Francesco. At the same time, she completed all the health and social training offered by the Misericordia, as well as the training relating to spazio + spadoni.
She left in October 2022 to launch the HIC SUM project in Timor-Leste, a Portuguese colony until 1975. The country, with a population of approximately 1,100,000, has a tropical climate with an uninterrupted rainy season from December to March and a dry season from May to September. Timor-Leste faces a very difficult economic and social situation; economic resources are limited and the production, especially of rice and maize, or the cultivation of rice and tobacco, is not consistent. Learn more Timor-Leste | The Foundation Stone of the OPERA M House in Timor-Leste Timor-Leste | The OPERA M House Is Born Sister Ansila Returns to Timor-Leste Early to Meet Pope Francis with the HIC SUM Project Volunteers.
Timeline
2021
02.10 | Start of relationship
The relationship with the Institute officially begins when the Borgo a Mozzano community hosts Sister Marguerite and Sister Angele, who will undertake the HIC SUM project training at the town’s Misericordia
2022
January | Training
Sister Ansila, who has volunteered with the Misericordia di Borgo a Mozzano for several years, is carrying out activities with elderly people within social services' remit. She attended and passed the first-aid responder course.
29.03 | Training
Technical training by spazio + spadoni begins
20.04 | Training
Technical training by spazio + spadoni at the Casa Madre delle Sorelle di Santa Gemma (LU)
06-09.06 | Training
Technical training by spazio + spadoni at the Convento di San Cerbone (LU)
11.10 | Sister’s departure
Sister Ansila leaves for Timor-Leste, where she will develop the project
December | Testimonies
15.12 | First funding provided
The funding was used to clear the land where the tanks will be placed
2023
28.01-02.02 | Training
Sister Ansila undertakes technical training in fish farming in Indonesia
09.04 | Easter Celebration
Sister Ansila documents the Easter Triduum and Holy Easter celebrations with numerous videos and photos
08.05 | Second funding provided
Purchase of 6 tanks, installation, technician
12.07 | Start of activity
365 fish are placed in the tanks
14.07 | Third funding provided
Transport of tanks, purchase of fish and feed
10 | OPERA M
22.11 | Fourth funding provided
Funding intended to support the Social Enterprise
2024
01 | OPERA M
Sister Ansila and her group of volunteers perform the Works of Mercy
02.04 | Start of sales
Sister Ansila begins selling fish
02.05 | Training and testimony OPERA M
Sister Ansila and the OPERA M volunteers visit the poor
08.06 | Return to Italy
Sister Ansila returns to Italy for a period
06.08 | spazio + spadoni meets Sister Ansila
spazio + spadoni, together with the Misericordia di Borgo a Mozzano, meets Sister Ansila, who has returned to Italy for a while,
28.08 | Testimony to the community
Sister Ansila presents the situation in Timor-Leste and the project's progress to the Borgo a Mozzano community
02.12 | Departure for Timor-Leste
Sister Ansila leaves Rome Fiumicino on 2 December to return to Timor-Leste, where she will arrive on 4 December
2025
01.01 |Meeting with the volunteers
The year's first day begins with a day spent with the volunteers
30.03 | Works of Mercy with volunteers
Sister Ansila and the volunteers live out the apostolate with people who've been affected by the flood and donate a kitchen they'll use
08.07 | The kitchen OPERA M is operational
The kitchen OPERA M is operational to provide meals to pilgrims
23.09 | Preparatory meeting for house OPERA M
A meeting was held with the authorities to plan the construction of the OPERA M House and the Chapel spazio + spadoni
04.10 | house OPERA M
On the memorial of Saint Francis, a feast day for the Congregation, the foundation stone marking the beginning of construction of the OPERA M House is blessed and laid. On the same day, the scarves presented to the new volunteers are also blessed spazio + spadoni
14.11 | Start of work on the house OPERA M
The Government's technicians mark the actual start of the work to build the OPERA M House spazio + spadoni
27.11 | Prime Minister
The Prime Minister visits Sister Ansila’s community and the OPERA M House spazio + spadoni
25.12 | Works of Mercy with volunteers
On Christmas Day, Sister Ansila and the volunteers went to live out the Works of Mercy with the village’s neediest people
2026
24.01 | volunteers self-financing activities
Sister Ansila and the volunteers make bracelets and rosaries to self-finance OPERA M activities
25.01 | Training OPERA M
Sister Ansila provides the new volunteers with training on the Works of Mercy
27.01 | OPERA M
Sister Ansila and the volunteers visit an elderly man who is alone and ill, bringing sacks of grass for the animals he can no longer care for by himself
28.01 | Listening Centre OPERA M
Sister Ansila and the volunteers listen to those in need
31.01 | Comfort the afflicted
Sister Ansila and i volunteers fanno visit alle persone sole and malate
02.02 | Consecrated Life Day
On the Day dedicated to Consecrated Life, Sister Ansila and the volunteers devote themselves to the Works of Mercy
05.02 | Construction of the House OPERA M
Work progress spazio + spadoni
Project Assessments
November 2022 Sister Ansila devotes herself to
fish farming. The project was examined in detail only when Ansila arrived in Timor-Leste; in this way, she was precise and detailed in communicating the costs and the work to be done
August 2023 Sister Ansila updates us on the
delivery of the project, and another 1,000 fish are added to the tanks
2024 February
Monitoring
July 2024 spazio + spadoni, the Misericordia
of Borgo a Mozzano and the Borgo a Mozzano community discuss the project's progress and future developments with Sister Ansila, who has returned to Italy for a period. Sister Ansila sends the estimate for the Pilgrim House she would like to build
January 2026 Update on the progress of work on the
construction of the OPERA M House
Photos and videos
