“ISJB is a Home of Formation Where Hearts and Minds are Shaped for Others”
As we come to the end of this year, we look back on the achievements, successes, milestones, blessings and graces that we have received through the hands of the many Jesuit collaborators God has used to transform the lives of the many Timorese people we have served throughout the year. In this edition, we would […]
Christmas Gathers Us In Friendship And Reminds Me To Be Grateful
The month of December always feels like missing home, especially because it is the season of Christmas. Whenever Christmas songs play in the malls or echo through the corridors, something in me becomes nostalgic. Sometimes I listen to Christmas hymns in Tetum, and instantly, I am transported back—back to familiar faces, warm gatherings, and the […]
Slow Down, Look Inward
We asked a series of reflection questions to Noeh Deo G. V. Sequeira, a student in his final year at Colégio St. Inácio de Loiola (CSIL) in Kasait. We are proud to share his reflections with you and hope that reading about his experiences will inspire all of you our readers: friends, donors, Jesuits and […]
Bringing Clean Water and Hope to Timor-Leste: A Year of Blessings
The year 2025 has been a time of blessings for many families in Timor-Leste. Thanks to the dedication and compassion of many helping hands from the Jesuit Social Service (JSS) – WASH Program, and beneficiaries across the country are experiencing life-changing improvements in access to clean water and sanitation. Working hand in hand with local […]
My Vocation is a Mission
As I journey through my first year in the Juniorate program, I am beginning to see that formation is not just about study but about self-transformation for the service of God’s people. Humanistic studies, such as visiting museums, watching theater plays, reading literature, and attending sessions on mental health, counseling, and spiritual direction, open my […]
ISJB: A Home That Transforms Lives
Instituto São João de Brito (ISJB) is not only a Jesuit institution in Timor-Leste — it has become a home, a favorite place, and a space that transforms lives. The inspiring story of Rute Mafalda Duarte, a second-year student majoring in English Language Education, reflects the true spirit of ISJB. At first, Rute believed that […]
Pastoral Experience with Povo da Rua
Matthew 25:35-36 reminds us that whatever is done for the person in need is actually done for Jesus. As we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit the sick, or console the broken-hearted, we are not simply carrying out social acts of charity; we are encountering Christ Himself in the face of the poor and […]
Seeing the Work as Compassion: A Volunteer’s Reflection with Jesuit Social Service Timor-Leste (JSS)
Being a volunteer in one of the programs of Jesuit Social Service Timor-Leste (JSS) as a Jesuit candidate has been a profound opportunity to reflect the love of God and live out Christ’s mission of freedom, justice and love. Serving through this ministry has filled me with deep gratitude and joy, especially as I’ve worked […]
My Journey with the Community of MAG+S Timor-Leste
Before attending formation in MAG+S Timor-Leste, I considered myself a problem to society. I took refuge in darkness and saw life as nothing more than a curse. I felt the heaviness of darkness and how it steered my life into the abyss. Lost, with nobody to reach, I felt the shallowness of my spirituality. I […]
My Journey to the Light
Throughout my lifetime, I have experienced many things, some pleasant and others painful. Some moments left scars that I hide behind smiles and laughter, while others remain mysteries I may never fully understand. There were times in my life when I denied belief in Jesus or even in God, despite being born and raised in […]