Sister Maria Regina ND 4886 PDF Download
(formerly, Sister Maria Clemença)
Regina ROZA
Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, Brazil
Date and Place of Birth: October 5, 1935 Não-Me-Toque, RS
Date and Place of Profession: February 10, 1956 Passo Fundo, RS
Date and Place of Death: January 24, 2026 Passo Fundo, RS
Date and Place of Burial: January 25, 2026 Santa Cruz Cemetery, Passo Fundo, RS
“Lord, show me your ways and teach me your paths.” (Ps 25:4)
Regina Roza, the second youngest of six children of Balduino José da Roza and Emilia Paula de Azevedo, was born into a family deeply rooted in the Christian faith. From an early age, she was introduced to the life of the Church and to religious practices that profoundly shaped her way of being and living.
Regina met the Sisters of Notre Dame in Carazinho where she recognized God´s call to dedicate her life to the service of her brothers and sisters. After a period of prayer and discernment, asking the Lord to show her His way, she entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1954.
Together with professional training as an Accounting Technician as well as a holding a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting Sciences, and a Certificate as a Pharmacy Officer, Sister Maria Regina was thoroughly prepared to carry out her mission in hospitals and in other various ministries throughout the then Holy Cross Province. Her simple, welcoming, and cordial manner made her a beloved presence, both in her workplace and in community life.
Sister Maria Regina was always attentive to discerning God´s ways. Beginning in 1990, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to pastoral ministry to indigenous in the municipalities of Iraí, Carazinho, and Passo Fundo. Initially, this new work was extremely challenging. Nevertheless, through her sensitivity, respect, and openness to diverse cultures, Sister formed deep bonds of trust. These bonds were so profound that the Kaingang people “baptized” her with the name Pen Fang, meaning ‘saracura bird’ (a type of marsh bird or rail), the bird that brought them land.
Sister Maria Regina was also a member of The Missionary Council for Indigenous Peoples (CIMI), an organization of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), committed to defending the rights, dignity, and autonomy of indigenous peoples.
At the age of 90, Sister Maria Regina joyfully anticipated the celebration of her Jubilee of Grace — 70 years of Consecrated Religious Life — scheduled for January 11, 2026. However, the Lord´s ways were different. On Christmas Eve 2025, she suffered a sudden illness and was admitted to a hospital in Passo Fundo. After several hospitalizations, Sister passed away on January 24th. She is the first Sister of the newly established Our Lady of Guadalupe Province to depart for eternal life.
May Sister Maria Regina now rest in God´s embrace and receive the reward for her faithfulness to her vocation, a life marked by a compassionate presence and tireless missionary service among the most vulnerable.
