Government Hands Over Dili Cathedral to the Church after rehabilitation
The Government of Timor-leste, represented by the Minister of State Administration and interim High-Level Institutional Coordinator for the Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, officially handed over, on August 12th 2024, the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Vila Verde to the Catholic Church, on August 12th 2024, following a six-months rehabilitation process.
The handover ceremony was attended by Cardinal Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, who represented the Catholic Church of Timor-Leste. On the occassion, the Cardinal and Minister Tomás Cabral signed the handover agreement for the renovation of the Cathedral and the Residence of the Congregation of ALMA Sisters (Mother Assosiasi Lembaga Misionaris Awan). 
The rehabilitation of the Cathedral Church was completed with an investment of approximately 533 thousand dollars, while the work on the ALMA sisters’ residence cost around 286 thousand dollars. Both interventions were finalised in time for the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Timor-Leste. 
During the ceremony, Minister Tomás Cabral emphasized the importance of this project, saying that “today, we officially hand over the goods that the Government has prepared in collaboration with the Catholic Church to receive the Holy Father’s visit. He also added that “after the Pope’s visit, a general report on expenditure will be presented to the Council of Ministers and made public”. 
Cardinal Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva expressed his gratitude to the Government for its generosity and support for the Catholic Church, emphasizing that the rehabilitation of the Cathedral represents not only a renewal of the physical space, but also of the faith of the timorese catholic community. I would like to ask all the faithful to help make the Holy Father’s visit a moment of grace for all of us. With the Pope’s arrival, we are renovating our Cathedral, and we, the believers, must renew our hearts and our lives”, appealed the Cardinal.
The official handover of the works marks the start of spiritual activities in the rehabilited Cathedral, which began with a special blessing the following morning, led by Cardinal Dom Virgílio do Carmo da Silva. The Cardinal encouraged parishioners and the community to take care of the new house prayer, preserving its beauty for future generations. 
The event was attended by various religious and government authorities, as well as representatives of the companies involved in the work.
