August 13
Dulce Lopes Pontes (1914–1992)
Missionary religious
Brazilian nun known as “the good angel of Bahia,” Dulce Lopes Pontes created an extensive work of assistance for the sick and homeless.
Biography
Baptized María Rita, she lost her mother at the age of six and since she was a teenager she welcomed the needy into her own home. She joined the Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God and, with minimal resources, opened schools, dispensaries, shelters and a hospital. He even housed the sick in a chicken coop in the convent, the origin of one of the largest social institutions in Brazil. His motto was simple and demanding: love and serve.
Practical advice
Share food, medicine or time with a person in need today and treat them as a valued guest, not a burden.
Example of
Missionary zealEvangelizationConsecrated life