Taipei, June 22 (CNA) Italian nun Sister Maristella Piergianni, who has cared for the underprivileged in Taiwan for more than 50 years, was recently granted Taiwanese citizenship and a Taiwanese ID card, fulfilling her dream of becoming a naturalized citizen.
"I've always wanted to be Taiwanese," said the 74-year-old, who was excited to receive the Taiwanese ID card and pledged that she will continue her efforts to help those in need.
Piergianni, who works at St. Joseph Social Welfare Foundation, a Catholic charity in Hsinchu City, received the Taiwanese ID on June 19, after the city made every effort to support her application for citizenship, in recognition of her long service.
Taiwan's Nationality Act was amended last year, allowing certain foreign nationals to apply for citizenship without having to give up their original citizenship.
Piergianni arrived in Taiwan at the age of 22, after spending one month on a boat from Italy. After her arrival, she served in Hsinchu County's Jianshi Township, Chiayi and New Taipei.
In 1992, she was transferred to a center for special education in Hsinchu City, where she worked for 12 years. The center was later managed by St. Joseph Social Welfare Foundation.
Piergianni later moved to the Missionary Sisters Del Sacro Costato before she started working at St. Joseph Social Welfare Foundation in 2014, where she cares for mentally challenged children.
Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien on Thursday praised Piergianni's dedication to caring for children with mental disabilities and expressed gratitude for the help she has given to those in need in Hsinchu and around Taiwan for the past 52 years.
"I will continue to serve Taiwan," Piergianni said.
