Sister Maria Nelda Luiza ND 4426 PDF Download
(Formerly, Sister Maria Florência)
Nelda Luiza MÖHLECKE
Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
Date and Place of Birth: January 14, 1929 Carazinho, RS
Date and Place of Profession: February 10, 1949 Passo Fundo, RS
Date and Place of Death: May 28, 2026 Não Me Toque, RS
Date and Place of Burial: May 29, 2026 Santa Cruz Cemetery, Passo Fundo, RS
“Oh! How good is the good God!”
Nelda Luiza was the second of eleven children born to Oscar Carlos Möhlecke and Erna Möhlecke. She completed her education and formation for religious life in Passo Fundo. At her investment, Nelda received the name Sister Maria Florência, though she later returned to her baptismal name.
After her first religious profession, she served in several schools; however, her great passion was healthcare. After completing a Nursing Assistant course in Porto Alegre, she received her Official Certificate as a pharmacist. Sister also attended several courses in Pastoral Care for the sick, promoted by the Pastoral Institute in Porto Alegre. Upon completion of this training, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to caring for the sick, particularly by providing guidance and support to expectant mothers.
Sister Maria Nelda Luiza never missed an opportunity to evangelize. After Sunday Mass, she would collect the liturgy leaflets and distribute them to passengers on intercity buses, offering a brief summary of the day’s gospel and leading a prayer. Her simple yet profound faith shone through in concrete acts of love for her neighbor.
In 1971, her generous and missionary heart compelled her to join the group of pioneering sisters who brought the Notre Dame charism to the state of Acre, in northern Brazil. A helpful, open, and communicative woman, Sister possessed an admirable tenacity and was especially sensitivity to the needs of the poorest. She dedicated many years to the Pastoral Care of Children (Pastoral da Criança), teaching mothers with limited resources simple, nutritious, and affordable ways to feed their children, which contributed significantly to reducing the rate of child malnutrition. Nothing seemed too difficult for Sister when it came to defending and serving those in need. She had profound faith in Divine Providence and prayed that God would provide the necessary resources to help those who were most vulnerable.
With the help of volunteers and detainees completing community service, Sister Maria Nelda Luiza maintained a raised garden where she grew medicinal herbs, spices, and vegetables. She also ran workshops to teach people to make soap, bake bread, and sew, all of which promoted the dignity and autonomy of many families. She visited the sick in their homes and brought them medicines prepared in her compounding pharmacy using herbs, essences, and syrups.
For Sister Maria Nelda Luiza, ora et labora was a daily reality. She prayed constantly during her commute to and from her various activities. She nurtured a special love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, for the Eucharist, and for the Mother of God. In community life, Sister was simple and welcoming, and took great joy in sharing stories about her ministry among the less fortunate. Sister would often exclaim with joy: “Oh! How good is the good God!”
As her health declined and physical pain prevented her from maintaining her active pace of ministry, Sister Maria Nelda Luiza joined the community of Casa Betânia. On May 28th, Sister concluded her long earthly pilgrimage, surrendering her life into the hands of the good God, whom she loved and served in the poor, the sick, and the humble. We give thanks for her life and her witness of faith, missionary courage, simplicity, generosity, and love for those most in need.
