Village marketplace, Timor-Leste

The Timor Leste Story

Since 1999 the Christian Brothers have ministered to the “poorest of the poor” in East Timor. In 2021 however due to an ageing core of brothers, it was decided they should withdraw from the country and pass their ministry into new hands. The Christian Brothers settled on a Josephite organisation called Mary MacKillop Today to take over their ministries.

 

The Conflict of the 1990s

The Christian Brothers came to the Ermera district of Timor Leste in the remote hill country behind Dili in the late 1990s at the invitation of the local bishop. At this time the region was suffering from significant civil unrest and external pressures.

The Christian Brothers’ work centred around the administrative post (formerly known as a subdistrict) of Railaco in the Ermera District - and specifically within five villages.

Under the guidance of Br Dan Courtney, an old boy of Gregory Terrace, volunteers travelled into the hills behind Dili, offering all they could to the impoverished people there.

There are many stories of Br Courtney putting his life on the line for the people and he is an honoured figure throughout the area. Sadly Br Courtney passed away in 2012, following many years in a coma, as a result of a motorbike accident.

With assistance from Australian school communities, Australian Catholic University, service clubs, volunteers and members of the Edmund Rice Network, the Brothers supported a range of health, education and development projects in partnership with five village communities in the district.

 
 

“One of the big things that came out, particularly in Timor, is that we lived in the village. People knew you were there – so they trusted you.”


~ Br Frank Hennessy

 

Education & Health

One of the Christian Brothers’ major projects was building kindergartens, known locally as “tekas” to improve the educational outcomes for the Timorese, many of whom lived in subsistence farming communities.

Br Frank Hennessy, a Victorian Christian Brother, oversaw the teka system.

Br Hennessy was the ministry leader in Timor Leste for five years up to 2021 before the ministry ended. He said ministering to the poor in East Timor was tough, often unrewarding, but necessary work.

“One of the big things that came out, particularly Timor, is that we lived in the village,” he said.

“When babies were born, or people died, you had an educational function, or a health visit from the clinic, people knew you were there – so they trusted you.”

Br Hennessy said a shared faith united the people, even with stark cultural differences.

Children playing in a village near Dili in the south of East Timor

Orchestra in Ermera, Timor Leste, playing outside the church

Growth of Christianity in Timor Leste

During the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste (1975–99), the Catholic Church grew in importance to the East Timorese people. This is demonstrated by the large increase in Timorese affiliation to the Church: 25–30% of the population were baptised Catholics in 1975 compared with over 90% in the 1990s.

Some historians assert that the faith and experience of suffering of the Timorese people during the occupation, mirrored the suffering of Jesus Christ. And this was how the Timorese came to terms with their experience of suffering and violence under Indonesian occupation through their identification with Jesus Christ and the Church.

 
 

Looking forward

The Edmund Rice Foundation continues to provide financial support to the people in Timor-Leste and to the on-going programs which the Christian Brothers first introduced in 1999.

“The joy of it is that the Josephite Sisters picked up three of our programs - preschools, women’s group and growing vanilla,” reports Br Frank Hennessy, who was ministry leader in Timor Leste for the last five years prior to the Christian Brothers ministry ending.

Mary MacKillop Today is working with the poorest communities in Timor Leste in the areas of teacher training, parent training and health literacy.

Timor-Leste is slowly emerging from fragility and rebuilding itself to become a strong and stable nation.

The Women’s Group, Preschools and Growing Vanilla continue under the Josephite Sisters with the financial support of the Edmund Rice Foundation.

 

Innovation in Timor-Leste

One of the big innovations Br Frank Hennessy was involved in was the introduction of vanilla crops for the farmers.

With a worldwide shortage of vanilla, Timorese farmers received $57/kg, whereas coffee, which was what the farmers usually grew, was sold for 32 cents/kg.

Vanilla only produces a crop every four years, so the program helped the farmers produce a four-year crop of vanilla while continuing their annual coffee crop – and netting the farmers an extra $1000 every four years.

 

Cristo Rei, Dili, Timor Leste