Resilience and Faith: The History of the Parish of São João de Brito Liquiça

The construction of the Church and the Missionary Residence began in 1965 and was completed in 1966. After the completion of the Church and the Residence, Bishop Dom Jaime Garcia Goulart came to celebrate the Eucharistic Mass on December 8, 1966, to inaugurate the buildings. During this visit, the Bishop also changed the patron of the Catholic Mission of Liquiçá from St. Anthony of Lisbon to St. John of Brito.

On December 7, 1975, Liquiçá village was bombed by an Indonesian warship, and the Parish of São João de Brito Liquiçá was hit by cannon fire, resulting in damage to the church’s side wall. In 1985, Bishop Dom Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo visited the Pastoral Center of the Catholic Mission of Liquiçá and continued to oversee the Parish of St. John of Brito Liquiçá until today.

On April 6, 1999, Liquiçá Christians were massacred by Indonesian forces and militias, resulting in the deaths of many individuals, whose remains have not been found to this day.

In the Parish of São João de Brito Liquiçá, there is one missionary station, the Bazartete Missionary Station, and 17 pastoral centers, including the Dato Pastoral Center, Loidahar Pastoral Center, Hatuquesi Pastoral Center, Aço-mano Pastoral Center, Darulete Pastoral Center, Lukulai Pastoral Center, Leotela Pastoral Center, Maumeta Pastoral Center, Lauhata Pastoral Center, Ulluntau Pastoral Center, Motormera Pastoral Center, Tibar Pastoral Center, Fahilebu Pastoral Center, Fatumasi Pastoral Center, Leorema Pastoral Center, and Metagou Pastoral Center.