God called her to her heavenly home
Sister Beatriz Marques was born on 21 November 1925 in Ataíja de Baixo – Aljubarrota.
She entered the Congregation of the Servants of Our Lady of Fatima on 2 February 1947, making her first religious profession on 2 October 1949.
She graduated in Midwifery and Maternal and Child Health. For about forty years, she studied and worked as a midwife nurse in various communities (with great success). In 1972, she was sent to Mozambique with the first community that the Congregation opened there, living through a period of instability due to war and extreme poverty and misery. She remained there until 2018.
Upon her return to Portugal, already over 90 years old, Sister Beatriz was always very happy and willing to collaborate in the life of the communities. She devoted herself especially to sewing, for which she was very talented, almost until the last years of her life.
Sister Beatriz Marques always showed herself to be a very happy, cheerful religious, willing to help, very faithful to her life of relationship with God and very attentive to all people. She leaves us an example of great human and spiritual maturity. God called her to her heavenly homeland on 5 November 2025, at 9 p.m., a few days before her 100th birthday.
The Sisters of the Community of Casa Madre Luiza Andaluz
Today heaven gains a holy soul
This is not just any soul. It is the soul of Sister Beatriz, who chose throughout her life to serve rather than be served.
In difficult times, you gave yourself completely to everyone to save some.
You made yourself poor, an educator, a mother, a nurse, to sow hope in our humble land in Mozambique-Mecuburi.
You were a seed sown in the earth to bear fruit. Your simple, joyful, generous manner, your ability to read between the lines and recognize the signs of the times in order to help others, was your driving force.
Sister Beatriz, you clothed us when we had nothing to wear, you embraced us when we lacked hope and peace, you made us believe that anything was possible.
I remember that maieutic to help my mother give birth, the countless times you did it for many mothers as a midwife. Your tender gaze, your serenity and inner peace, your greatness of heart!
We can only thank God for the woman-apostle you were to us. May God open the way of his mercy to you and welcome you eternally.
Sister Beatriz Maria Marques
21.11.1925 – 5.11.2025
She spent 46 years in Mozambique and always sought to be a presence of God among that people. She always wanted to suffer and rejoice with them and carry them in her heart. She considered the Mozambican people as family.
A conciliatory woman who fostered communion, she was deeply concerned with the formation and growth of the sisters.
