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Account of the Life and Death of our dear

Sr. Agnes (Terezinha) Fernandes de Jesus

April 1, 1935 – November 9, 2015

This is God’s house,

This is the gate to heaven” (Gen. 28, 17)

We sang this song for Communion at the funeral mass.

Sr. Agnes was born on April 1, 1935 in the village of Cajazeirinha, the county of Milagres in the

diocese of Crato, the seventh of the fourteen children of the farmer José Fernandes de Lima and his

wife Antònia Maria de Jesus. She was baptized Terezinha on May 26 of the same year.

In her autobiography Sr. Agnes wrote: “In January of 1953 I learned that the Missionary

Benedictine Sisters had arrived in Barbalha. This news touched me very much, not only because

now it was possible to continue studying as a boarder (Terezinha only had attended school up to

fifth grade), but especially because I was searching for a religious community. At that time I had

just finished reading “The Story of a Soul,” in which was the statement that St. Therese had gone to

a school of Benedictine Sisters. Therefore this title appealed to me. On his birthday, my father

talked with me and asked whether I might want to become a Benedictine? I jumped for joy and

said, “Yes!” So I was to go to Barbalha as a boarding student in spite of my family’s financial

difficulties. But my father was an optimist, a person full of hope.”

Terezinha thus became the first boarder in our sisters’ school at Barbalha. Since she expressed the

wish to become a sister, she was sent to Olinda at the end of the school year. There she boarded for

one year, attending the second year of secondary school.

In January 1955 she was accepted into the novitiate as a candidate. On January 21, 1957 she

received the religious habit and the name of the day’s saint, Sr. Agnes. On January 25, 1958 she

made her first profession and three years later her final profession.

Sr. Agnes worked in sewing and embroidering vestments from 1956 to 1963, since she had made a

sewing course before her entrance. In 1965 she was transferred to Barbalha, where served as

sacristan and did domestic work. In 1969 she returned to Olinda and continued the studies that had

been interrupted 13 years earlier. In December 1972 she completed the course of a primary teacher

and turned out to be good teacher. Then she studied languages at our FACHO and taught Portu- guese, religion and art. Sr. Agnes served for one year in the parish school of Lavras da Mangabeire

in the state of Cearà. Then she taught for six years in our school in Recife. In 1985 Sr. Agnes came

back to Olinda, taking charge of the vestment and sewing rooms.

Since 1993 Sr. Agnes had severe health problems. She suffered from rheumatic arthritis and osteo- arthrosis. Since 2001 she was dependent on her wheelchair. In addition she suffered a fracture of

her femur, so that she needed constant nursing care. In 2006 our priory opened a home for sick and

elderly sisters at our community Nossa Senhora do Carmo in Recife. Sr. Agnes became one of the

first group to move there. During the first years she was still able to give valuable help in

correcting Portuguese texts of our German sisters. The last five years of her life became a veritable

way of the Cross. Sr. Agnes suffered from prolonged periods of profound depression, even

considering herself unworthy of receiving Holy Communion. Only during the past few months did

she come to understand that the Eucharist is not a reward for the good people, but rather a medicine

for the weak.

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In September she suffered a heart failure. She was immediately taken to the hospital, where the

doctors in intensive care made admirable efforts. Since that time, Sr. Agnes experienced moments

of profound joy. She no longer complained of pain, but was consoled by prayer and felt happy in

the arms of her heavenly Father. Often she stated that her life was nearing its end and that she felt

sure that she would be eternally happy in heaven. The day of her death was the feast of the

dedication of the Lateran Basilica, November 9, 2015. In the coffin the face of our dear Sr. Agnes

showed the inner peace which she had found at last.

Lord, give her eternal rest!

Olinda, Brazil, January 10, 2016-01-11

Sr. Vania Maria Toscano

Prioress