Maria da Conceicao Apparecida Marins was born in Sorocaba (a city that is situated near
Sao Paulo) on 27th December, 1914, into a family of five children. After the death of her mother, she came to
Sao Paulo to live with relatives.
She was a member of the group, Daughters of Mary in the parish of Our Lady of Consolation, where she came to know the Sisters of the Holy Family.
In spite of the fact that she knew of several other religious congregations, she felt a special attraction for the spirituality of the Holy Family and for the person of the founder, Pierre Bienvenu Noailles. Even though the Holy Family had no Brazilian sisters at that time, she was courageous enough to enter.
She began her initial formation in difficult times, 1940, which was a time of war. On the 29th June of that year, she began her postulancy. On the 24th March 1942, she entered the Novitiate. On the 26th September 1943, she made her first vows and received the name of Sister St. Luiz Gonzaga. On the 26th September 1946, she made her final profession.
As she was the first Brazilian vocation, she took on responsibilities very early on: she became a member of the Directorate of the Association of the nursing Sisters of Hope and was in charge of formation of postulants who were entering by the door that she herself had opened.
 She began her community life in the house on Consolation Street and later carried out her mission in other communities that were founded at that time: Alameda Glete, St. Edwiges Hospital, Pocos de Caldas, Altinopolis,
Santos – in Gota de Leche, Holy Family Chacara and Queen Isabel Shelter where she lived and worked for the last twenty years.
She was especially devoted to the poor. She said herself that she had been particularly marked by her experience in the shanty town ‘Orden y Progreso’ where she worked during the 70s. She was gifted with a rich personality, knowing how to combine gentleness with firmness, fidelity to the rules with openness to the new, courage with prudence, wisdom with simplicity, prayer with activity. Above all she had great love of and a strong sense of belonging to the Holy Family.
During her last days of illness, it was good to see her always busy. She would be seated in her armchair and in her own place, arranged to her liking, and when we came to visit her we would find her engaged in sewing, reading or writing. She would interrupt what she was doing and smile that familiar smile that we miss so much. She always prayed the Office and read the Word of God each day, up to the last day of her life.
Last year, at the opening of the festivities to celebrate the Centenary of the arrival of the Holy Family in Brazil, unable to be present at the Mass in the Church of the Consolation, she made her presence felt by a beautiful letter. The following extract from this letter contains a message for us today: ‘I thank God for these 100 years and for the happiness of belonging to the Holy Family of Bordeaux. I am encouraged by the words of our Founder, the Venerable Pierre Bienvenu Noailles who says to us: “Take courage, you are not alone. Jesus, Mary and Joseph hold you by the hand. Go forward!” ‘.
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