During the celebrations of the National Day, the 20th of May, José Ramos Horta, President of the Republic of East Timor, declared “national heroes” three Portuguese Jesuit missionaries. They are Fathers João Felgueiras and José Martins, and Brother (deceased) Daniel de Ornelas, who arrived in East Timor in 1974 and remained there for more than 24 years during the Indonesian invasion of the island. Thanking for the recognition received and speaking for all of them, Fr. João Felgueiras underlined the need for “other religious men and women to be encouraged to leave for Timor to evangelize a growing number of children so that they can assume the role of leaders in the faith in this extreme corner of the world.” As for the President, he invited the Church to assume the high responsibility of education in the schools of Timor”. Timor, an island of the Malay archipelago, is politically divided into East and West Timor.
From: http://www.sjweb.info/
