Blessed beyond words
Highlights
- A childhood dream led Timorese priest Fr Deonildo de Andrade to ACU, where a scholarship gave him the opportunity to study a Master of Education in Melbourne.
- He overcame language barriers and culture shock while gaining new perspectives on education, discipline and supporting young people.
- Returning to Timor-Leste, he hopes to use his education and experience to help shape young lives and strengthen his community.
Winter, English, chicken parma – Timor-Leste born priest Fr Deonildo de Andrade has a long list of cultural differences between his nation’s capital city, Dili, and Melbourne.
But there is also a beverage that unites both cities – coffee. While akin to air for Melbourne locals, coffee is the largest agricultural export in Timor-Leste and a vital source of income for regional farmers.
“I'm a coffee lover,” explains Fr Deonildo.
“But for me it’s not just about drinking coffee. When you drink coffee, you can connect with the cafe owner, with the community. Coffee for me is a way of socialising myself with the community.”
So when the Timorese priest and educator of 20 years was unexpectedly chosen by Timor-Leste Cardinal Virgilio do Carmo da Silva to study a Master of Education at ACU Melbourne on a full scholarship, guess where he headed first?
“When I came to Melbourne, I thought coffee shops could be places for me to explore the city. Maybe if I go to the city one day, I'd have a coffee on Little Bourke Street, or next time Lygon Street, or Flinders Lane,” he said.
“I would try to find a different coffee shop to connect myself.”
When a childhood dream comes true
Fr Deonildo was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dili in 2012 but says his calling was “not extraordinary”.
“No angel came to me and said, ‘You would be a priest’,” he laughs.
“I eventually entered the seminary and with a lot of discernment and self-examination, I decided because I live in Timor, I would stay in Timor as a priest, as I thought it would give me more opportunities to reach a lot of people and
help the community.”
As a deacon he did his community placement at a Catholic school and continued working in education for 20 years, including as a school principal.
While he’s found deep meaning and purpose as a priest, his vocation also meant giving up on a childhood dream.
“When I was a boy, one of my dreams was come to Australia and study,” he said.
“But I knew in our diocese we never had diocesan priests go and study in Australia, so I just thought, ok, that’s it.”
It was a complete surprise when the Archdiocese of Dili – overseen by the Cardinal of Timor-Leste – chose him to undertake postgraduate studies at ACU Melbourne on a full scholarship.
The scholarship follows a partnership between the Catholic University of Timor-Leste and ACU to strengthen educational opportunities for students. It also builds on the long-standing Future in Youth program, an innovative sports-based initiative run by ACU exercise scientists to teach East Timorese young people about leadership, respect, fairness and fun.
Fr Deonildo joins nearly 4,000 people from South Asia who have received generous scholarships to study at ACU.
“It’s a blessing,” said Fr Deonildo.
“And it’s not just about the scholarship. For me, it was a sign of trust, encouragement, a calling, a mission.
“Maybe for others it’s just a simple scholarship, but I think it's really changed somebody's life.”
Dealing with culture shock
Fr Deonildo’s time in Australia has not been without its challenges.
The biggest hurdle was mastering the English language – his third, and a requirement to study the master’s degree.
“English was so hard to understand,” Fr Deonildo said.
“It was hours and hours of working night and day to try and communicate. I was shocked and I was numb.
“In the end my strategy was to have a conversation with the teacher, with a classmate, with a friend. And I just said to myself, nobody's perfect, you don't need to wait until your English is perfect to start communicating.”
With added help from YouTube content creators, and support from patient parishioners of the Altona parish where Fr Deonildo has been staying, English is no longer an insurmountable challenge.
The “blessing” of a scholarship and the notion that he was living his childhood dream also encouraged him to persevere.
“Getting this opportunity (to study in Australia) also motivated me to adjust myself when I was going through this cultural shock,” Fr Deonildo said.
“I said to myself, I’ve got to trust the process, that I’ll be fine at the end.”
Entering into dialogue
As part of his master’s, Fr Deonildo conducted research into the consequences of corporal punishment on children and families, a practice still used in parts of Timor-Leste.
Fr Deonildo said conversations with his lectures and tutors at ACU gave him new perspectives into the consequences of corporal punishment on young people, and more effective ways to address misbehaviour.
“While doing my studies here, I’ve come to understand the consequence of corporal punishment, and it’s given me new insights for how to have a conversation back in Timor,” he said.
“I would like to encourage teachers to do more positive discipline by understanding the consequence, and the motives behind why some students misbehave.
“The conversations I’ve had at ACU will help me to start to build a dialogue with the reality of education in Timor.”
Returning with a new vision
Fr Deonildo has now completed his Master of Education and is preparing to return to Timor-Leste. He leaves Australia with a renewed vision for the role education can play in the lives of young people.
“As a new nation, I think we have to focus on developing human resources, and education is playing an important role in the society at the moment,” he said.
“We have to encourage more young generations, teach them a good way of life and exploring their capacity to contribute to the nation.
“If you change one person, this person will go and change their community.”
One thing is certain – Australia has changed Fr Deonildo.
“I’ll miss connecting with the people,” he said.
“Here in Melbourne it is very diverse, but you are very safe, you have a dignity, everyone will respect you when you know how to respect each other.
“I also love the self-independence – everyone has their own schedule, they make peace with themselves. There is a lot of green space you can go to when you are tired.
“I’ll miss the food a little bit - chicken parma, fish and chips, or even chicken salad. That’s what I will miss about Australia. Besides coffee.”
Published 2026