East Timor – Philosophical Institute of St. Francis of Sales sees its first graduation ceremony

10 November 2020
East Timor – Philosophical Institute of St. Francis of Sales sees its first graduation ceremony

(ANS – Dili) – On Saturday 31 October 2020 the “Philosophical Institute of St. Francis of Sales”, in the East Timor Vice-Province, marked another important event in its history, by certifying 27 students who successfully completed their studies in social philosophy. There were 27 graduates: 18 from SDB clerics, 6 lay (all of them former seminarians) and 3 from the Carmelite Order (OCD).

The graduation-day ceremony was initiated with a Thanksgiving Mass at 09.00 am celebrated by the TLS Provincial, Fr Apolinario Ornai Neto, and involving the graduates and their parents and relatives, some guests of honour, rectors of the communities where some of the graduate-brothers are doing practical training and the Salesians of 3 communities in the Comoro compound.

At around 10.30 all headed to Don Bosco gymnasium (basketball court) to continue with the act of graduation. The main guest of honour in this graduation ceremony was His Excellency, the Minister of Higher Education, Mr. Longuinos dos Santos.

Indeed, it is another milestone for Timor Leste Vice-Province and particularly for the Institute of St. Francis of Sales to prove once again its mission to form our young Salesians in their intellectual formation. Vis-à-vis this graduation ceremony it is a joyful celebration dubbed with “Construir e Transformar a Sociedade e a Igreja através da Filosofia: formar os jovens timorenses de serem críticos, creativos e construtivos...Bons Cristaos e Honestos Cidadaos”.

The Institute is just 8 years old now (2012-2020) and the number of students who have passed through this Institutes is around 136. Out of this number: 12 are now priests; 3 are already in different provinces as missionaries; and a large number is undergoing theological studies (for clerics) and professionals studies (for brothers) in Portugal, Rome, Australia, Philippines and Indonesia.

“As Rector of the Institute I would like to congratulate the graduates for their commitment, thanks to my predecessor, Fr Helio Cabral, who paved the way for this successful event; to my Superior of the TLS Province for the accompaniment and, above all, a big thanks to our beloved Rector Major for his great concern and fatherly support,” Fr Manny Pinto, SDB, said proudly.

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