Italian-born Catholic sister who dedicated 65 years to Taiwan dies at 93

Taipei, June 1 (CNA) Sister Giusebbiana Frongia, born in Italy and a Taiwanese citizen since 2017, died Friday at age 93 after 65 years caring for needy children in a remote village in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu County, a local mayor said.

Hsinchu County Zhubei City Mayor Cheng Chao-fang (鄭朝方) announced the death of Sister Giusebbiana Frongia, who was also known by her Chinese name Chao Hsiu-jung (趙秀容), in a Facebook post Friday.

Born in Sardinia, Italy, in 1932, Frongia came to Taiwan 65 years ago and dedicated her life to educating Indigenous children in Hsinchu County's Jianshi Township and carrying out missionary work, Cheng said in his post.

She built a Catholic church and a kindergarten there and spent decades supporting and assisting the Indigenous Atayal people, Cheng said.

Praising her as "Taiwan's equivalent of Mother Teresa," Cheng said Frongia -- known as "Mumu," meaning mother in the Atayal language -- left an enduring legacy of love in Taiwan with her passing Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Lee Tao-lin (李道霖), secretary-general of the Hsinchu Science Park Management Association, told CNA that he befriended Frongia in 2017.

He later learned that the Italian-born nun wanted to become a Taiwan citizen. He helped launch a petition urging the government to speed up her naturalization, and she was ultimately granted citizenship in June of that year.