Timor-Leste – Fr Eligio Locatelli receives honorary title of Official Knight of Order of Merit of Italian Republic
Dili, East Timor - May 2022 - Fr Eligio Locatelli, an Italian Salesian missionary who has been living and serving the people of East Timor for more than 50 years, has received the honorary title of "Cavaliere Ufficiale dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana" from the Italian government. The award was conferred by Italy's ambassador to Indonesia, Benedetto Latteri, accompanied by Msgr. Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, SDB, Archbishop of Dili, Msgr. Marco Sprizzi, permanent appointee by the Supreme Pontiff Pope Francis for the Apostolic Nunciatures in Malaysia and East Timor, Fr Apolinário Neto, SDB, Superior of the TLS Vice-Province, Sr. Alma Castagna, FMA, TIN Provincial, and other dignitaries from the Dili Nunciature. Fr Locatelli previously received the "Order of East Timor" in 2016, awarded by the State of the Democratic Republic of East Timor for his contribution to the country's independence and development.