“This news is a reason to give thanks to God and brings great joy to the entire Salesian Family, especially the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Diocese of Brescia, which gave birth to the future saint, and the Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez (Ecuador), where Maria Troncatti carried out her missionary work. Her canonization is a sign of hope for her powerful witness of transmitting life and faith to new generations and the indigenous peoples of the Amazon forest, which became her ‘homeland of the heart.’ She was a woman of reconciliation and peace, with a maternal spirit that touched hearts,” commented Father Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator General.
Maria Troncatti was born in Córteno Golgi (Brescia) on February 16, 1883. As a young girl, she actively participated in parish catechesis and received the sacraments, developing a deep Christian faith that opened her to a religious vocation. Inspired by the Salesian Bulletin, Maria considered a religious life. Out of obedience to her father and parish priest, she waited until she came of age to request admission to the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. She made her first profession in 1908 at Nizza Monferrato. During World War I (1915–1918), Sister Maria trained in healthcare in Varazze and worked as a Red Cross nurse in a military hospital.
After surviving a flood, she vowed to the Virgin Mary that she would dedicate her life to missionary work if she was saved. In 1922, Mother General Caterina Daghero sent her to Ecuador. Sister Maria spent three years in Chunchi before venturing into the Amazon rainforest alongside Bishop Mons. Comin and a small expedition. She and two fellow sisters established their mission among the Shuar people in southeastern Ecuador, initially settling in Macas, a village surrounded by Shuar settlements.
Sister Maria faced numerous challenges, from the dangers posed by wildlife and turbulent rivers to the complexities of evangelization. In Macas, Sevilla Don Bosco, and Sucúa, her efforts blossomed. She served as a nurse, surgeon, orthopedist, dentist, anesthetist, and most importantly, as a catechist and evangelizer, displaying deep faith, patience, and brotherly love. Her work for the empowerment of Shuar women led to the formation of hundreds of new Christian families, with couples marrying out of personal choice for the first time. Known as the “doctor of the jungle,” she tirelessly worked for human and spiritual development, especially for women. She founded a hospital, trained nurses, and fostered reconciliation between settlers and the Shuar community.
On August 25, 1969, at the age of 86, Sister Maria passed away in a plane crash near Sucúa. She had devoted her life to love and service, even offering herself for reconciliation between settlers and the Shuar people. She once wrote, “Every day, I am happier with my missionary religious vocation!”
Declared Venerable on November 12, 2008, she was beatified on November 24, 2012, during the pontificate of Benedict XVI in Macas (Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez, Ecuador).
