St Theresina's Church, Catholic church in Timor-Leste.
St Theresina's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Ossu, Viqueque Municipality, about 150 km from Dili. The old building, damaged during the independence struggle, held around 1,500 people, while over 1,000 stood outside on Sundays. Piles of rocks brought weekly by families surround it, intended for the foundations of a new church.
In 2007 Father Tiago Soares da Costa became parish priest of Ossu, where about 21,000 people lived by 2010. Weekend Mass attendance outgrew the church, which held roughly 1,500 and left over 1,000 standing outside without a sound system. The dilapidated building showed damage from the years of war for independence, and rebuilding was expected to take up to 10 years, supported by the Timor-Leste government and Catholic communities abroad.
The parish runs FOSKA, a formation programme for young people, adult prayer groups, ministry for the sick and care for those suffering poverty and hunger. Each week families attending Mass bring rocks for the foundations of the new church, and a ten-cent fund collects a weekly contribution from each family for the rebuilding.
The church welcomes visitors during daylight hours and holds regular services throughout the week. Respectful dress and quiet conduct are expected when entering the prayer space.
Each week families attending Mass brought rocks to the site, hoping they would form the foundations of the new church; about 15 piles of stones were gathered. Father Tiago Soares da Costa also started a 'ten-cent fund' to which each family contributed 10 cents weekly for the rebuilding.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,464 contributors worldwide.