Sister Maria Natalina 

Sister Maria Natalina               ND 4883                    PDF Download

Natalina Domenica MURARO

Nossa Senhora Aparecida Province, Canoas, RS – Brazil

Date and Place of Birth:            December 25, 1934           São Francisco de Paulo, RS
Date and Place of Profession:  February 10, 1956             Passo Fundo, RS
Date and Place of Death:          March 14, 2023                  Santa Casa de Misericórdia, Porto Alegre, RS
Date and Place of Burial:          March 15, 2023                 Convent Cemetery, Canoas, RS

“Oh! How Good is the Good God”!

On Christmas night the angels sang a hymn of praise announcing the birth of our Savior. Certainly, on December 25, 1934, José and Regina Muraro also sang a hymn of gratitude for the birth of their sixth child. Years later, two more children were born into the family. The girl was registered with the name Natalina Domenica, since she had been born on Christmas Day, a Sunday.

In an account of her life, Sister mentioned that her family nurtured a religious spirit, attended Mass, and had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and Saint Joseph. This family experience, the cultivation of Christian values, and the participation in the church motivated two of the daughters of the Murano family to join the Sisters of Notre Dame: Melania (Sister Maria Irena) and Sister Maria Natalina.

Sister Maria Natalina also shared that she encountered many of the difficulties and challenges she faced in following Jesus both in her ministry and in the changes and adaptations needed to live in different communities.  However,  she also emphasized that the joys she experienced outweighed the difficulties. She was grateful for the opportunity to make the Congregational pilgrimage: to visit the Motherhouse in Rome and the historical places of the Congregation as well as, to have had the chance to have a little taste of internationality. Another milestone in her life was the celebration of specific events of her religious life, especially her Iron Jubilee celebrated with special prayer services, spending time with family members, attending Holy Mass, and social gatherings.

Between the lines of her sharing, one can perceive her characteristic features. In her ministry of housekeeping, Sister loved to welcome guests and carefully prepare the rooms for them. Sister Maria Natalina was a simple and kind religious who cultivated her membership in the Congregation as well as goodwill towards her Sisters, family, and friends. She had a sense of humor which allowed her vital energy to circulate, allowing her to become a relaxed and communicative person. Sister was a simple person, joking, and communicative. As she grew older and more fragile, she delighted in little things and loved to welcome visitors into her bedroom to appreciate her small altar which displayed her favorite saints, her photo album, her cards, and her souvenirs.

Throughout her life, Sister Maria Natalina had to undergo several surgeries. According to her, this physical frailty enabled her to overcome and accept hardships and become calmer and more persevering.

In 2020, Sister joined the Recanto Aparecida community for health treatment. In mid-February 2023, she was admitted to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of Santa Casa de Misericordia, Porto Alegre, where on March 14, 2023, she surrendered her life into the hands of the good and provident God. May the Lord grant her rest and eternal light.

R.I.P.