PAX – SISTER ASSUNTA BELTHRAME

PAX!

Renewing our faith in the Resurrected Christ, in which we place our certainty and hope, we announce, moved but with gratitude, that on February 25^th, 2025, at 9:50 pm (local time), at Casa São José, Nova Veneza (Santa Catarina / BRAZIL), the heavenly Spouse received into his arms:

SISTER ASSUNTA BELTHRAME

Province “Mother of Divine Providence”

with 94 of aged and 69 of Religious Profession

Sr. Assunta (Adília) born in Rio das Furnas (Grão Pará / Santa Catarina / Brazil), on May 22^nd, 1929. Adília spent a happy and joyful childhood with her family, who dedicated themselves to agriculture. Since she was little, she was always available to help and enjoyed the birds and all the farm chores.

She was very intelligent. Even before attending school, she knew how to read and write. Her father was her first teacher and he awakened a dream in his daughter’s heart: to be a teacher.

Adília, being a good practitioner of the Church, dreamed of being a Religious. However, she did not find support from either her parents or her uncles.  Divine Providence met her through her friend, Sister Celina Volpato, already a Benedictine of Divine Providence. Thus, at the age of 24, she decided to enter the Convent in Nova Veneza (Santa Catarina) and, on July 30^th, 1953, she entered. And was received by the local Superior, Sr. Beniamina Carbone. Her aspirancy and postulancy took place in Joinville (Santa Catarina).

Returning to Nova Veneza (Santa Catarina) on January 6^th, 1955, she took on religious clothing, receiving the name Sister Assunta. Her Novitiate Mistress was Sr. Beniamina Carbone.

She made her Religious Profession on January 7^th, 1956, in the chapel of the Instituto Sagrada Família in Nova Veneza (Santa Catarina).

From the beginning, Sr. Assunta was the personification of joy and serenity. A wise, coherent, open and welcoming woman, she never refused to do any service. She was a leader by nature and, at the same time, reflective and welcoming, especially when caring for the most fragile. Who doesn’t remember Sr. Assunta assisting the elderly in Elói Mendes and Campos Gerais (Minas Gerais) and in Laguna (Santa Catarina)?

Only those who knew her will be able to deduce the size of her good, merciful and welcoming heart. She had an open spirit to events both in the ecclesiastical and worldwide spheres. This is what she wrote to me in 2008:

“I’m doing well, thank God. The pain in the legs, the suffering…but also, the joys are to be offered to the Lord for the needs of the entire world. I pray a lot, I watch TV, and I read, I watch the newspaper, I attend Mass, I do crossword puzzles, I work… I rest, I walk with a staff, I’m happy!”

Sister Assunta loved community life and was interested in the progress of the Missions and the life of the Communities. She liked being together, praying, singing, playing… She always wanted to be update. She was respectful, spontaneous and very prayerful. Always ready to share and learn new knowledge.

But I leave the words to the young Sr. Nilcéia Padilha who met her when she was an aspirant at the Children’s House in Criciúma / Santa Catarina:

“My friend, rest in peace. She welcomed me to the Children’s House. As an elderly woman, she made soup and took care of the girls’ meals in the ‘Gente Menina’ Project with Sister Rosilene. And she said: if young people want to be Sisters you need to have a prayerful heart and visit Jesus in the Tabernacle, spend time with Him. Prayer is the food of fidelity…

 She always said that the hardest vow to live was that of Obedience. I believe she expected the Provincial to deliver her Obedience once again, now eternally. ‘MY LIFE I GIVE FREELY’ (Jn 10:18) She never forgot my birthday and every year she used part of the old cards to write a sentence on my birthday.  She was vain; she liked good soaps, perfumes and lotions.  She liked to eat well.”

We also give the word to our Mother Narcisa Maria Pasetto who knew her closely:

“Dear Sr. Assunta… We knew you were already prepared for your departure… But we never want to lose who we love. We suffered with your long illness, we united in prayer in your pain, and now we are sorry that you left us. But we believe in Eternal Life. Jesus gave his life for our Salvation. Today, you are part of the Blessed who see God, face to face. Wherever she went, she left a beautiful testimony of a happy Consecrated Person, who always had a word of affection and welcome. She loved our Religious Family. In this Jubilee Year, we offer the Lord, with great gratitude, your life, a living Flame of Hope! The Heaven is feats with your arrival! Together with God, our Foundresses and so many of our Sisters, pray for us!”

Sr. Assunta leaves a legacy of faith, joy and fidelity to the Yes given with enthusiasm from the beginning.

“In recent times, she lived hours and days of profound silence and abandonment to God, but she remained conscious and liked to sing, mouthing some prayers. On the bed of pain she was docile and allowed herself to be led until the end” (testimony of Sr. Fabiana Veres de Almeida).

In this Jubilee Year, God tests us once again by taking one of her precious pearls to himself. We miss you already!  Assunta, no doubt, when you came close to Jesus you shouted with joy.

Pray for us, you who were faithful and joyful until the end.  Intercede for us, for Pope Francis, for the Church, for our Congregation. Wow, you are going to leave an emptiness!

We thank the dedicated Sisters of Casa São José, the nurses and doctors of Hospital São Marcos for their dedication and services provided.

The funerals will take place this February 26^th at 4pm with a funeral Mass in the Chapel of the Sacred Family Institute of Nova Veneza / Santa Catarina and then the burial in the Municipal Cemetery of Nova Veneza / Santa Catarina.

In communion of prayers, united with all the Sisters of the Province Mother of Divine Providence, the Oblates, family, friends and employees of Casa São José, let us entrust this our Sister, into the arms of the Provident Father.

“You called me. Lord, I am here!

(from the Remembrance of her 25^th years of Perpetual Profession)

REST IN THE PEACE OF THE LORD!

Sr. Maria das Dores Paz – General Secretary