Sr. Aurelia, 81 years old, died on August 24, 2009 in Medellín, Colombia. She entered the novitiate in 1947 in San José de Rumipamba, Ecuador, and she pronounced her perpetual vows on August 6, 1952 in San José de Rumipamba, Ecuador.
TO ALL OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE SS.CC.
"To know, to contemplate, to serve and to proclaim" was the slogan that was reflected throughout the entire life of our beloved sister Aurelia AVILA VELEZ who died peacefully on Monday 24 August at 10pm.
Aurelia Avila had suffered much in recent years, from a painful and severe osteoporosis and with love she offered it for the Congregation which she loved so much in her life.
Aurelia Avila (Hortensia Obdulia) was born in Biblían-Ecuador on June 6, 1928, within a very Christian family. She entered the Congregation in 1946 and began her novitiate in Rumipamba-Quito in 1947. She made her first vows on the 1 May 1949 and in 1952 she made her perpetual vows.
From then her life was of unconditional service to the Gospel in different parts of the Province of Ecuador and Colombia, always with a missionary attitude.
In 1964 she went to open a new mission center with the SS.CC. Brothers in Cartago-Colombia. There she showed her creativity in the 1st. Community of insertion of that time in a very poor neighborhood with lots of violence, there she knew how to proclaim Jesus as Lord who invites us to live love, reconciliation and peace.
In 1967, she went to a new community of insertion in Manrique - Medellín. A very poor and difficult neighborhood because of the violence of that time, Aurelia, dedicated herself totally to the evangelization of children from Sacred Hearts School, together with our brothers who ran the parish.
When Colombia established itself as a new SS.CC. province. Aurelia gave her unconditional service to our educational centers and at the same time was Provincial Bursar for some years.
At all times we can say that her mission and way of proclaiming the Gospel was the distinctive, that she did it with wisdom, creativity and joy, leaving the mark of her love and her wise words and teachings on many of the students. Aurelia Avila, was a person who knew how to benefit from each moment to nurture the Gospel, the documents of the Church and the Congregation, and in this way kept very up to date, with great lucidity, and a deep sense of belonging to the SS.CC. In recent years, she spent long hours before the Tabernacle, never failing in "her hour of adoration", we can say that adoration was her life, right up until her last days when she slowly faded away like a candle, contemplating Jesus in the Eucharist, proclaiming the Gospel and serving people in many parts of Ecuador and Colombia.
Aurelia, left us many lessons: her unconditional acceptance of what she was asked to do and her dedication to Jesus in the Eucharist, her service to the Mission and her fraternity.
The Sisters of the Community of Robledo, ask the Sisters and Brothers of the Congregation, to join us in our song of gratitude for this life so devoted to living, to contemplating and proclaiming the love of God in Jesus and his Gospel.
María del Rocío Carpio and the SS.CC. Sisters of Robledo-Medellín. Colombia.
08/24/2009