I was born in a village deep inside Portugal more than 100 years ago (in 1913). My family was poor in material things, but rich in human and Christian values. One day I fractured my arm while picking cherries.

When I was 16 I accepted the invitation of a Brother who was doing vocational pastoral work in the area and travelled to the House of Telhal, which served as a psychiatric hospital and a training centre for the Order. At 18, I made my first Profession of faith and, as well as working, began studying nursing.  When I was 26 I joined the Order’s House in Madeira, where I served as Superior between 1940 and 1946 and where I had to deal with the enormous shortages caused by the Second World War.

Returning to the mainland I continued serving the Order in a variety of roles, including Provincial Superior from 1956 to 1965, which marked a period of development in the Portuguese Province, thanks be to God.

I have been in Brazil since 1965, working first in Rio de Janeiro and, from 1969 onwards, in Itaipava-Petrópolis.

I have lived a full life these last 100 years, and faced many pastoral challenges that seldom gave me respite. It was easy and difficult at the same time: easy because when we do our part, God does the rest; difficult because where there are people there are also difficulties.

Today my missions is very limited because of my personal circumstances, but I want to continue right to the end to keep the certainties that have always been with me: we do not enter the religious life in order to be nurses but in order to be saints; only God is worth the trouble of living; through Mary we shall reach Jesus.

I should like to thank the Brothers and Co-Workers who look after me with such tender care, and remind the younger people that it is a sad thing to go through this world unless we keep God as our ideal!