Around Dili

Our Lady of Fatima statue

On the coast of Dili, just around the corner from the Palacio Do Governo, there’s a statue stood high atop a column in the middle of a small park. Our Lady of Fatima, which commemorates the Virgin Mary’s apparition in 1917 in the Portuguese village of Fatima, arrived in Dili from Portugal as a gift in 2002 to coincide with Timor-Leste becoming an independent nation.

The Our Lady of Fatima statue in Dili

A referendum in 1999 saw 78% of East Timorese people vote in favor of independence. It took two and half years for the day to arrive, but it was worth the way.

Dili Bishop Filipe Ximenes Belo was presented with Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal on May 13. Upon its arrival at Dili Airport, Bishop Belo and Baucau Bishop Basilio Nascimento escorted the Virgin Mary to Dili Cathedral before the statue was taken on a whirlwind tour of Timor-Leste’s 13 districts. The first port of call was the enclave district of Oecussi.

The Virgin Mary’s tour of Timor-Leste was part of nationwide celebrations leading up to the big day, May 19. Our Lady of Fatima returned to Dili and at the stroke of midnight, one million East Timorese celebrated their country’s newfound independence.

As the clock struck 12, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan handed over the country to Parliamentary President Francisco Guterres. The UN flag was lowered and the East Timorese national flag was raised on the Independence Monument.

A massive fireworks display commenced and Xanana Gusmao was sworn in as president. It was great day for Timor-Leste and the statue is a reminder of that time and also of the role and predominance of Catholicism in the country; some 95% of East Timorese people are Catholic.