Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima
The Minor Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima is a Roman Catholic seminary, located in Dare, Dili, East Timor. Established in 1936, it is the oldest Roman Catholic seminary in East Timor. The seminary was initially established in Manatutu district, south of Dili. In 1951 it was moved to Dare. In 1954 the Vatican canonically registered the seminary. It was taken over by the Jesuits in 1958, and moved to the outskirts of Dili in 1978. History The seminary, which while at Dare sat on the top ridge of the mountains surrounding Dili, was for generations East Timor's most important educational institute where almost every East Timorese leader was educated. On 13 December 1975, a few days after the start of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, the seminary building in Dare was bombed. In 1978, Father José Martins and Father João Felgueiras reopened the seminary in Externato de S. José, a building on the outskirts of Dili. In 1983 the St. Joseph's High School became a separate institution from the minor seminary. Among the students of the high school are approximately 50 seminarians. The seminary was the only place where East Timorese could be educated beyond secondary school level,