Luzia Santiago - Co-founder of Comunidade Canção Nova.

She was Born on June,26,1949 in Varginia - MG.
Her parents: Mr. Francisco de Assis Ribeiro and Mrs. Anita Ribeiro Fortes.
She is the fourth daughter among seven brothers; graduated in Social Welfare Service and Philosophy.
Profession: Missionary

I came from a Catholic family, thank God, my parents were always faithful to God, but my great meeting with Jesus happened after forty days of marriage, when I became a widow; my husband was a pilot of F.A.B (Brazilian Air Force), and in an accident his airplane fell down killing him. I was 23.
My questioning about life was big; I realized that my life was based in a person who had passed away; in a human being who had a delicate life. It was among these questionings, amidst my revolts and trying to get a sense out of living, I met Jesus in a youth conference in Lorena- SP.
Father Jonas Abib, was already the spiritual director during that weekend. That's when I stopped and had my meeting with the Lord.

When Did you start moving towards becoming a missionary of Canção Nova with Father Jonas Abib?
I have to say that my first conference and my first meeting to Jesus was in 1973, where I experimented my first youth conference and a great moment of conversion. So I had already known Father Jonas Abib and he became my spiritual director.
He worked with youngsters; I immediately became part of the staff of those conferences, working in our diocese to attract other people to Jesus.
It was in our pray meetings, conferences, experiences with praying, national congresses promoted by Charismatic Catholic Renewal , where I had my first personal meeting with Jesus. I was little by little engaging until I became someone ahead to assume the compromise with those youngsters.

What is your marital status today?
I have been married with Eto for almost thirteen years. It is my second wedding; I have to say it was not a human passion as with my first one… it was a design of God. I don't want to say that my first wedding hadn't been a design of God, but this one was conscious in the sense of reaching together for the same ideal; the same mission which was and is to serve to God.

Wedding date:
We got married on May, 12, 1990 at Catedral of St. Anthony in Cachoeira Paulista -SP