Corteno Golgi (Italy). On 25 August 2024, on the 55th anniversary of the birth into Heaven of Blessed Maria Troncatti, FMA, the parish community, the family members of the Blessed, and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians met together in the Parish of Santa Maria Assunta in Corteno Golgi (Brescia) to thank the Lord for having given to the Institute and to the Church this great woman and missionary, a giant in her infinite humility.
United with the joy of the family members of Sister Maria and the faithful of Corteno, Fr. Erino Leoni, Vicar of the Salesians of Don Bosco of the Lombardo-Emiliana Province St. Charles Borromeo (ILE) and numerous FMAs, including Sister Maria Luisa Nicastro, General Secretary of the FMA Institute; Sister Ruth del Pilar Mora, General Councilor for the Missions; Sister Francesca Caggiano, Vice Postulator of the Causes of the Institute; Sister Stefania Saccuman, Provincial of the Lombard Province Lombard Holy Family(ILO); Sister Marisa Canobbio, Provincial Vicar; and Sister Jessica Salvaña, Superior of the Preprovince Mary Mother of the Church (RMC).
Corteno Golgi, a small village of two thousand inhabitants in the Val Camonica, in the province of Brescia, gave birth to great figures such as Camillo Golgi, scientist and Nobel prize winner; Pietro Chiodi, philosopher of the last century; and Sister Maria Troncatti, FMA passionate about souls, ardent missionary in the Ecuadorean jungle, martyred for peace between the Shuar peoples and the settlers.
The morning began with a brief presentation of the birthplace of Sister Maria Troncatti, held by her great-niece, at the end of which the assembly gathered in the parish Church for the celebration of Holy Mass presided by Fr. Erino Leoni; concelebrated by Fr. Lino Zani, missionary, collaborator of the Parish; and accompanied by the organ by the pastor, Fr. Mauro Zambetti.
Greeting those present before the Celebration, Sister Maria Luisa Nicastro highlighted the gifts of attention toward people in their integrity. “We want these gestures of attention that she exercised towards the poor, towards the little ones of any ethnicity and nationality, up to the gift of life, to be present also in our lives. Today we ask through the intercession of Sister Maria Troncatti, for the gift of healing for our wounds, for our sufferings, the sufferings of the world, in the certainty that through her intercession, we will be able to walk towards heaven in peace.”
In his homily, Fr. Erino Leoni considered the readings of the day and the life of Sister Maria Troncatti in parallel, highlighting her most significant traits: “The Eucharist, Christ Jesus who gives Himself as bread, is scandalous. A Eucharistic life, primarily Eucharistic, is an outrageous life, like that of Sister Troncatti.”
“Maria Troncatti, in front of her sister Caterina, says, ‘I want to be a Sister and a missionary’. (…) Why does a girl say this to her sister? Only for one reason: because she is certain that she has seen the signs of His presence. One does not leave something certain, as certain as this blessed land, as her family who loved her so much, as a father who faints at her departure. Why should such a young girl, unaware of what would await her, leave all this?”
Fr. Erino defined Sister Maria as a woman who “experienced an encounter. Maria can say with certainty that she belongs to God because she has seen the signs of His presence.” Seeing the signs of God’s presence in her life, she was able to make herself a sign of His presence among the Shuar people, among whom she spent all her energy with joy, as a good Samaritan, healing the wounds of their bodies and souls.
Concluding the homily, he recalled the firm faith of the Blessed through the account of the episode of the healing of young Augustus and commented,“Miracles do not occur except through the mediation of believing hands, mouths that pray, hearts that adhere to the Mystery. Sister Maria Troncatti teaches us this faith today”. (complete text)
At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, Sister Francesca Caggiano and Mr. Giuseppino Lippi, mayor of Corteno, express their gratitude and greet the present.
“What are the traits that Sister Maria took and carried forward from this territory, from this parish? How did the Lord dig in the soul of Sister Maria Troncatti?” Sister Francesca highlighted the impact on Sr. Maria of the mountain landscape and the education received in choosing for God and for the mission:
“Certainly, the faith learned on the knees of her mother and father, from this family that accompanied her and directed her in the path of faith. Sister Maria looked up, because you cannot fail to look up at the mountains, so it’s as if she had learned that in life she had to look up to the Lord. The missionary character is born in school, with the teacher who makes her read the Salesian Bulletin, and while she reads it, she has a particular gaze towards the missions of Ecuador and Latin America. Think how this seed of missionary activity has become a great tree. Holiness is the most beautiful face of the Church and for this we must work together so that this face of Sister Maria Troncatti becomes more and more radiant in the territory and in the Church”.
In his words, the Mayor underlined the second name of the Blessed: “Maria Benvenuta, as if she were an ambassador of the inscrutable divine plan. The first miracle was already accomplished through His name. Your presence and action, dear Sisters, testifies to how much faith and the Holy Spirit can stimulate in each one of us good intentions and consequently good deeds. The life of Sister Maria Benvenuta is a tangible testimony of what we could imagine or at least propose to do. Today, celebrating the return to heaven or new life, of our beloved Blessed Maria Benvenuta, is a beautiful opportunity that she herself gives us to better know and appreciate our ability to interact with our sensibilities. Her example of active missionary activity surely challenges our conscience, if only to avoid its eclipse and to stimulate in each one of us the desire to put ourselves to the test through incisive actions of solidarity. This emblematic figure who embarked on her mission 100 years ago, has demonstrated with her life the power of daily virtuous action”.
The celebration continued in the family spirit with a refreshment offered in the oratory “Blessed Maria Troncatti” by the relatives of Sister Maria and the parishioners of Corteno, happy to have among them many Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
May Blessed Maria Troncatti, whom we hope will be soon be counted among the Saints of the Salesian Family, continue to intercede with the Father, listening to the prayers of many sick people who invoke her with faith and grant the Institute the grace of many holy missionary vocations and peace in the world, so necessary in these times of conflict and tension.
