In East Timor, on the Feast of Saint Dominic, we, the Dominican family, choose different districts in East Timor to celebrate this solemnity. This year, 2022, we decided to celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Dominic in Hatolia. Hatolia is located in Ermera, one of the districts of East Timor; and it is also one of the places in East Timor where one of the Dominican priests was martyred together with two local catechists. On August 6th, we left from our respective places (Dili, Aileu, Same, Manatuto, Hato-Udo, etc) for Hatolia. A long hour's journey, the road was bumpy and dusty, but when we arrived there, we were warmly welcomed by the parish priest in his residence.
On the very same day, in the afternoon we went to Leimea-Kraik, a village where Fr. Michael Robert OP was martyred, to visit the cemetery. When we arrived there, local villagers welcomed us with their traditional dance and brought us to visit the said cemetery. Then, we had a Mass in the chapel nearby the cemetery together with the villagers. The mass was presided by Fr. Provincial and con-celebrated by the Parish priest of Hatolia and our Dominican priests. After the mass, we went to pray in the cemetery, then we concluded that day with the fraternal agape with the local villagers in the residence of the chapel, we left for Hatolia Parish with the Parish priest.
The next day, August 7th, we had a Mass of the solemnity of Saint Dominic in the morning in Hatolia Parish and the mass was celebrated by Fr. Provincial and con-celebrated by the Parish priest of Hatolia and our Dominican priests. Moreover, during this solemn mass, three of our Dominican sisters from the Holy Rosary Province also renewed their religious vows.
After the mass, we gathered together in the parish hall with the parishioners to continue this celebration with some performances made by our Dominican youths, aspirants, postulants, and novices from different Dominican communities in East Timor. After that, we had lunch together with the parish priest and the parishioners in his residence, then we bid them farewell, and we returned to our own respective places.
-Bro. Agostinho Mendonca OP
