Sister Maria Nilda ND 5897 PDF Download
Nilda Rosário SOUZA
Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, Passo Fundo, RS – Brazil
Date and Place of Birth: October 26, 1939 Caçapava do Sul, RS
Date and Place of Profession: February 11, 1969 Canoas, RS
Date and Place of Death: March 26, 2026 Recanto Aparecida, Canoas, RS
Date and Place of Burial: March 26, 2026 Convent Cemetery, Canoas, RS
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” (Ps 37:5)
With gratitude, we return Sister Maria Nilda to God; she who had gifted the Sisters of Notre Dame with her simple life as well as her faithfulness and fidelity to her vows for 57 years. Her devotion to Our Lady was especially remarkable. The rosary was her faithful companion, especially in her later years when she found both peace and comfort in its recitation
Sister Maria Nilda was a joyful presence in Community. She was approachable, Always willing to help and a lover of parties and dancing. Her lightheartedness and spontaneity were contagious. She took joy in life’s little things. She loved children, and her simple manner easily drew them to her. She had a special fondness for simple gestures, such as a piece of brown-sugar candy wrapped in straw or a sweet potato, which would immediately light up her face. Sister also enjoyed going on trips and gratefully accepted any invitation.
Nilda Rosário Souza was born on October 26, 1939, in Caçapava do Sul, the daughter of Verconcil de Souza and Faris Silveira de Souza. She was the ninth of ten siblings, all of whom have since passed away. Even at a young age, she worked on their smal Family farm and later helped support them by working as a live-in assistant at the Madre Júlia School in São Sepé. She loved her family, later visiting them whenever possible. They, in turn, cared for her with affection, especially during her illness.
It was in São Sepé while living with the Sisters of Notre Dame, that Nilda´s vocation and desire to join the Community were born. Following a journey of discernment and perseverance, she entered the Congregation as a young adult. After completing her novitiate she resumed her studies, finishing elementary school, the Teacher Training Program (1974), and earning a degree in Science (1975).
With dedication and generosity, she served in various ministries, particularly as a teacher at Colégio Santa Teresinha in Taquara. Later, she devoted herself to pastoral work: catechesis, liturgy, serving as a minister of the Eucharist and of Hope, visiting families and the sick, vocational outreach, and participating in the Serra International Movement.
As Sister Maria Nilda grew older, illness and senility limited her memory and mobility. Since 2023, she had lived in the Recanto Aparecida community in Canoas, where she found joy in visits and in small gestures of affection. In recent years, she became bedridden and underwent several hospitalizations. In the early hours of March 26, at the age of 86, Sister peacefully departed this world to be with the Father, leaving behind the memory of a kind and joyful religious sister who lived a life of simplicity and dedication.
May Sister Maria Nilda rest in peace and intercede for us.
