Sr. Maria Troncatti
Sr. Maria Troncatti was born in Corteno Golgi (Brescia) on 16 February 1883 into a large family of poor farmers, she had a happy childhood caring with much parental affection.
Due to parish catechesis and having received the sacraments, the adolescent Maria matured a profound sense of being called to a religious vocation. However, out of obedience to his father and parish priest, she waited to be of age before asking for admission to the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; she made her simple profession in 1908 in Nizza Monferrato.
During the First World War (1915-1918), Sister Maria undertook courses in health care in Varazze and worked as a Red Cross nurse in the military hospital: an experience that would remain precious to her during her long missionary activity in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador.
She left for Ecuador in 1922 and was sent among the indigenous Shuar tribe, where with two other sisters she began a difficult work of evangelization. Her mission was full of all kinds of risks, including local conflicts, dangerous animals and inhospitable terrain. In spite of the difficulties she had great success in her mission of evangelisation and catechism, whilst also being called upon as a nurse, surgeon, dentist and anaesthesiologist due to her medical training.
Her work to improve the position of the Shuar woman flourishes in the hundreds of Christian families, now made by the free personal choice of the young spouses.
Sister Maria died in a tragic plane crash in Sucúa on August 25, 1969. Her body rests in Macas, in the province of Morona (Ecuador). She was declared Venerable with the Decree of 8 November 2008 and raised to the glory of the blessed in Macas (Ecuador) on 24 November 2012 by the Pope's representative, Cardinal Angelo Amato.