“The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun,
and his bride is prepared to welcome him.”
— Revelation 19:7
Every soul is called ultimately to intimate union with Christ forever in heaven. As women religious and Spouses of Christ, we live now in this earthly life, what all souls are called to in eternity.
For this reason, the death of a religious and a Spouse of Christ does not mark the end of something, but rather the fulfillment of what her life was on earth. The day of her death is truly her wedding day, her day of complete union with her heavenly Bridegroom.
On May 21, our sister Mother María de la Natividad (Mary of the Nativity) passed away in Argentina. A member of our religious family for 33 years, she was a missionary in our province in Phoenix, Arizona from November 2016 to January 2021.
While we are saddened by her loss, we pray that her soul is participating with great joy in the heavenly marriage feast of the Lamb.
The following letter was sent on May 21 by our General Superior, Mother Corredentora:
Dear Religious Family,
Today, May 21st 2021, at 12pm in Argentina, at the Hospital Central of San Luis, Mother María de la Natividad Echandía died. She had been hospitalized since May 10th due to Covid. From the time of her hospitalization, she has always been accompanied by our sisters. Despite all the care and attention of the medical personnel, her condition continued to worsen, and she spent the last 48 hours in intensive care.
Mother Natividad was part of the first group of Servidoras. She began her Novitiate on March 19th, 1988 and made her final profession on September 14, 1996, at “Our Lady of Sorrows” in San Rafael, Mendoza. She was a missionary in Argentina, Ecuador, Italy, Spain, and the United States. This past February she was assigned as superior of the community “Cristo de la Quebrada” in San Luis, Argentina, dedicating herself to apostolate in the hospital.
For 33 years she served the Institute and the Church with great love and surrender, giving us a great example of service and apostolic zeal. We commend her to the prayers of all, and ask especially that the priests offer Masses in suffrage for her soul. We also ask prayers for consolation of her mother, Maria Antonia, her whole family and her religious community.
In the Incarnate Word and Mary Most Holy,
M. María Corredentora Rodriguez
General Superior
