Sister Maria Vianete ND 5402 PDF Download
Jenny Pierina KELLER
Our Lady Aparecida Province, Canoas, RS – Brazil
Date and Place of Birth: March 18, 1935 Rolante, RS
Date and Place of Profession: February 13, 1962 Passo Fundo, RS
Date and Place of Death: September 27, 2025 Hospital Divine Providence, POA/RS
Date and Place of Burial: September 28, 2025 Convent Cemetery, Canoas, RS
“The One who calls you is faithful.” (1 Thess 5:24)
With gratitude and tenderness, we celebrate the life and mission of our beloved Sister Maria Vianete, who, on the afternoon of September 27, 2025, peacefully completed her 90-year pilgrimage on earth.
Born the youngest of fifteen children to Abele and Joséfina Keller, she grew up in the hills and valleys of Morro Grande, Rolante. From her parents, humble and hardworking farmers, she inherited a deep Christian faith, which enabled her to face life´s challenges with serenity and trust in God
Jenny spent her childhood breathing the fresh mountain air. She delighted in the beauty of creation, and from childhood learned the value of hard work, simplicity, and faith. Love for her family was a defining mark of her life. She nurtured strong and tender ties with her relatives, cherished every opportunity to visit them and joyfully welcomed them into the embrace of her religious community.
As a young adult, Jenny responded generously to God’s call and entered the Sisters of Notre Dame. Upon beginning her novitiate, she received the religious name Sister Maria Vianete, which she carried faithfully throughout her life. On February 13, 1962, she professed her first vows in the Holy Cross Province, Passo Fundo, and in May of that same year, she became part of the newly established Our Lady Aparecida Province. In 2022, with deep gratitude, she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of religious consecration. These decades were marked by fidelity, service, loving care, and a wholehearted witness to our Charism and spirituality.
For more than five decades, Sister Maria Vianete served in the sowing room — a ministry in which she displayed talent, precision, and refinement. An expert in detail, she joyfully placed this gift at the service of our Province. In 2017, both age and frailty slowed her steps. As a result, she continued to sew as a hobby while devoting herself more deeply to prayer and community life.
Practical, helpful, and attentive, Sister Maria Vianete showed affection in the smallest things. Her discreet but ever-available presence touched many lives. She will be remembered for her kindness in preparing surprises and her thoughtful care, as well as the simple yet joyful way in which she served.
Sister´s spirituality was cultivated with love. In the sewing room, she set up a small altar with images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady, and the Holy Angels. Before beginning her daily work, she would pray with the employee, offering the day and their labor to God. Her prayer life was deeply rooted in community life, marked by her faithful presence in times of prayer and community gatherings, in which she always participated with devotion, earnestness, and joy.
In 2019, due to senility and neurodegenerative disease, Sister Maria Vianete required special care and so joined the Recanto Aparecida community. There, surrounded by Sisters and caregivers, she maintained the same serenity, kindness, and joy that had always characterized her life. Even her last years were a testament to her dedication and fidelity, as she remained a joyful Sister of Notre Dame until the end.
We are confident that the Lord, whom Sister Maria Vianete served so faithfully through 60 years as a Sister of Notre Dame, has now welcomed her into the fullness of eternal life.
