A stunning former model and beauty queen has spoken of her surprise at the viral interest in her transformation—from the catwalk to selling rosaries at a roadside stall.
The 21-year-old, now known as Sister Eva, revealed that she entered the novitiate to prepare for consecrated life just one day before she was due to take part in a national beauty contest—simply walking away from it.
Born Kamila Cardoso, she once competed in beauty pageants and worked as a fashion model. Now, she is turning heads for a very different reason in Goiania, a city in the Brazilian state of Goias, where she was filmed speaking to customers and handing out religious items on 30th May.
Nun Kamila Cardoso, 21, poses in undated photo. She was once a model and a beauty queen and went viral for her beauty while selling rosaries in Goiania, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (@servasdemariasantissima/CEN)
In interviews, she said she lost her father at the age of nine and struggled for direction until one day, inside a church, she saw a nun and felt instantly called to that path.
While she once found fleeting satisfaction in beauty contests and modelling, she says nothing compares to life in the Church.
She said: "As a teenager, I lived in an enchanted world... we were treated like princesses. But the competition was intense and caused me a lot of anxiety.
“But I chose to be a nun forever.
Nun Kamila Cardoso, 21, poses in undated photo. She was once a model and a beauty queen and went viral for her beauty while selling rosaries in Goiania, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (CEN)
“It was a shock for the whole family... My mother was shocked... She only understood as I talked to her.”
She chose the name Eva after deep reflection: “Eve was the woman taken from Adam’s ribs... She walked alongside Him and was created with purpose and love. I wanted my name to reflect this origin and this commitment.”
Now part of the Congregation Sancta Dei Genitrix—an independent Orthodox community led by Father Jose Ribamar R. Dias—she lives in the Nossa Senhora Aparecida and Santa Catarina Community in Sol Nascente, Ceilandia, one of Brazil’s largest favelas.
Nun Kamila Cardoso, 21, poses in undated photo. She was once a model and a beauty queen and went viral for her beauty while selling rosaries in Goiania, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (CEN)
There, she leads and participates in social projects that support vulnerable families and care for abandoned animals. She also raises funds, food, and donations by visiting bars, shops, and fairs.
Sister Eva said: “Before, I was an only child, alone. Now, I have brothers and sisters. We have no lack of love, food, or medical care.
“I still pray a lot. Being a nun is a daily sacrifice... I always knew I was meant to be a wife of Jesus.”
Reacting to the viral video of her selling rosaries in a bar, she said: "It was a surprise... It had a very positive impact, especially because we are young nuns, we wear makeup, and today people can see us in a different light.
“I don’t want [fame] just for myself. I want this fame for our community, for Father Ribamar... for the social projects.
“Even with the video going viral, the community has not yet been approached for donations or help.”
Nun Kamila Cardoso, 21, poses in undated photo. She was once a model and a beauty queen and went viral for her beauty while selling rosaries in Goiania, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (CEN)
The Congregation Sancta Dei Genitrix, though not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, is known for its outreach in poor communities and for allowing nuns to wear makeup and elegant clothing. Father Ribamar encourages the sisters to take care of their appearance as a form of self-respect.
Sister Eva maintains an active presence on the congregation’s social media, sharing the charitable work being carried out in Goiania and beyond.
Originally from Patos de Minas, she now lives and serves in Goiania, where the congregation is based. Photos from her pageant days show a glamorous young woman in sashes and dresses—a stark contrast to her current religious robes.
She said: “I had won the title of Miss Continente Teen Sol Nascente. I loved going to the shopping centre, and like any other teenager, I had youthful moments—relationships, a few kisses.
“But now I’m the wife of Jesus, and I have to say I don’t miss my old life.”
Reflecting on her spiritual awakening, she added: “That day it seemed like I was seeing Our Lady in front of me. From then on, I knew that I no longer wanted to be of the world.”