Sister Maria Angelina

Sister Maria Angelina          ND 4183          ⇒ PDF Download
Angelina WINTER

Holy Cross Province, Passo Fundo, RS – Brazil

Date and Place of Birth:      January 29, 1924    Estrela, RS
Date and Place of Profession: February 09, 1949   Passo Fundo, RS
Date and Place of Death:      January 31, 2015    Betânia House,Não-Me-Toque, RS
Date and Place of Funeral:    February 01, 2015   Convent Cemetery, Passo Fundo, RS

Angelina was the fourth daughter among the 9 children of Jorge José Winter and Ana Maria Hintges Winter; her father was a farmer and her mother a housekeeper. Three of the nine children entered religious life. Irene (who died in 2009) and Ignez (who is still among us) also became Notre Dame Sisters. João Paulo Winter (who has also died) was an MSF priest.

The Winter Family was very religious and had a special connection with seminarians and priests. A portion of their harvest was directed to the support of the seminary.

When she was 21, Angelina entered the Notre Dame Congregation and stayed for 66 years; celebrating her Iron Jubilee just last year.

During her Religious Life, Sister Maria Angelina was transferred 24 times and worked in several communities of Our Lady Aparecida Province and Holy Cross Province. When she was in Rio de Janeiro, Ipanema, she supervised the recreation, and the children were always around her. In her ministry, she united work and prayer.

In 1990, she made the Course CERNE (Renewal Spiritual Center) of CRB (Religious Conference in Brazil).  She participated in of all formation opportunities and spiritual programs and was grateful for and happy about the opportunities.

She was a Sister who worked in community service: cleaning, cooking, washing, gardening, baking; and in addition, she was involved in the church through liturgy, prayer, and visits to elderly and sick people.

From 2010 until her death she lived in House Betânia, where in spite of her age, she always helped everywhere for example setting the table and drying the dishes. She appreciated her co-sisters’ company and was present for the community recreations.

Sister Maria Angelina never missed community prayer. Even during times of vacation she brought her book of the Liturgy of the Hours and prayed the office completly. She was faithful in daily prayer. “And they were astonished at this teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mk 1:22) we read in Mark’s Gospel for today’s liturgy. And the text continues “And they were all amazed. A new teaching! With authority ” (cf. Mk 1,27). 

So were the life and the teachings of Sister Maria Angelina: without great academic studies, but in words and gestures of wisdom and welcome, she heard everybody nearby! Her advice was of life and trust in the good God and Our Lady. When her strength was down, the spirit of faith and prayer enlarged her Heart. It was what she was able to do, as she said with confidence and gratitude. May God receive her and give her eternal glory!