On October 20, Ambassador and Madam Anthony C.Y. Ho, accompanied by Secretary Wei Wang, visited the General House of the Salesian Sisters (Istituto Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice, FMA) in Rome. On behalf of the Taiwan government, Ambassador Ho presented support for the Sisters’ humanitarian healthcare projects, including maternal and child healthcare services for remote communities in Wau, South Sudan, and improvements to the maternity department’s equipment at Kafubu Referral Health Center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ceremony was presided over by the Superior General, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, and attended by more than 40 Sisters.
During the Month of Mary in May, Ambassador and Madam Ho visited Santa Cecilia Institute in Rome, a halfway home run by the Salesian Sisters, and donated computer equipment to help disadvantaged girls improve their digital learning opportunities. They also celebrated Mother’s Day with the Sisters who lovingly care for the girls as mothers. Deeply moved by the Sisters’ selfless love and their longstanding dedication to education and care, the Embassy has once again joined hands with the Congregation, extending cooperation from education to healthcare and continuing to care for the vulnerable and protect lives through concrete action.
In his remarks, Ambassador Ho recalled the warm exchange during the May visit and shared the spirit of this partnership with the words, “From classrooms to clinics, from learning to healing.” He thanked the Salesian Sisters for their longstanding service to young people, the sick, and vulnerable communities, and expressed his hope for closer cooperation in the future. Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s call to care for our vulnerable brothers and sisters, he reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to its H.O.P.E. humanitarian cooperation framework and to putting Turning Hope into Action into practice through concrete assistance that brings hope and dignity to those in need. The remarks were met with warm applause from those present.
On behalf of all the Sisters, Superior General Sr. Chiara Cazzuola expressed her gratitude for the Taiwan government’s generosity, which brings hope to vulnerable women and young people. Citing the teachings of Pope Leo XIV, she emphasized that promoting the common good requires everyone to share responsibility and work together. She also commended Taiwan’s humanitarian spirit, demonstrated through its practical commitment to caring for the vulnerable. At the end of the ceremony, she presented the Embassy with a wooden sculpture from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, symbolizing maternal love, as a cherished memento of this partnership.
May the blessings of the Month of the Holy Rosary inspire the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the Sisters who selflessly devote themselves to protecting and caring for the vulnerable. May Taiwan and the Salesian Sisters continue working hand in hand to share love and hope, bringing meaningful assistance and warmth to more vulnerable communities.
