By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
ST. AUGUSTINE | Sister Lilia Fernández, a Sister of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, died on Oct. 26, 2024, in St. Augustine. Born on April 22, 1930, in Havana, Cuba, Sister Lilia was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph since transferring to the Congregation in 1981, serving primarily in South Florida in Catholic education, parish religious education, and in pastoral care at Mercy Hospital in Miami.
She entered religious life in Havana in 1948 and became a Handmaid of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 2023 she celebrated her 75th jubilee as a consecrated Religious. One of her brothers, the Most Rev. Gilberto Fernández, served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami.
In 2014 she retired to Our Lady of Lourdes Convent in St. Augustine where she had a ministry of prayer.
A vigil service will be held on Wed., Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the Motherhouse chapel, 241 St. George Street, St. Augustine. The funeral liturgy will be celebrated on Thurs., Oct. 31, at 10 a.m. at the Motherhouse, with interment at San Lorenzo Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Sisters of St. Joseph, P.O. Box 3506, St. Augustine, FL 32085.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, the only congregation of Catholic apostolic women Religious headquartered in Northeast Florida, have served the people of Florida continuously since 1866. Their mission is to foster unity and reconciliation in the service of the Dear Neighbor. They currently serve in St. Augustine, Miami, and Jacksonville in a variety of ministries.
For more information, contact Sister Carol Stovall, SSJ, at 904-826-7364.