Community Corner

Thoughtful, Beautiful, Maternal: Colleagues Describe Woman Killed in Spanish Train Crash

Ana Maria Cordoba worked at the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.

It's hard to square images of someone whose inner beauty touched all who knew her with the horrific video of the train crash in Spain that claimed her life and injured her husband and daughter.

Ana Maria Cordoba, a 47-year-old Colombian immigrant, lived in Fairfax and worked in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington's Human Resources Department as an employee benefits specialist.

"She was just a beautiful person," said Father Tom Ferguson, pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria.

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"She was gentle. She was kind. She was prayerful. She was cheerful," he said. "People are grief-stricken. It's like the loss of a member of the family. And the other reaction is to thank God for our faith that helps us find meaning in this otherwise inexplicable event."

Cordoba was on holiday in Spain with her husband, Philippe, and daughter, Christina, a rising senior at Bishop O'Connell High School.

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Her son, Santiago, is an exchange student in Spain and had just completed a pilgrimage to the city of Santiago de Compostela in the northwestern part of the country. The Camino, or Way of Saint James, is a traditional, ancient pilgrimage to the city's cathedral, which Christians believe contains the remains of Spain's patron saint.

The pilgrimage can take days or weeks, said Michael Donohue, spokesman for the Arlington Diocese.

"It was an accomplishment for him," Donohue said.

The family hoped to see each other at the Feast of Saint James, which was to be Thursday.

Cordoba's mother, Maria Angel, also works at the Arlington Diocese. 

The Most Rev. Paul Loverde, bishop of Arlington, spoke with her early Thursday when the diocesan family was praying Cordoba was simply among the missing, and again late Thursday after news of her death was known.

“…Precisely in the midst of this unimaginable tragedy and sense of profound loss, we cling to the promise of the Risen Lord Jesus that eternal life awaits those who believe in Him and follow in His footsteps," the bishop said in a statement released Friday. "Together as family, we pray that Ana Maria will be given eternal life, that her husband and daughter be completely healed and recover soon, and that her entire family experiences the consolation and comfort that comes from the Heart of Jesus Christ. Because we are family, we will walk with them, supporting them through prayer and with much care.”

Many of the chancery's 200 employees made their way from the diocese to the nearby Cathedral of Saint Thomas More on Friday for lunchtime Mass.

"We'll pray for her in a special way today," Ferguson told Patch.

Several employees said they always tried to sit near Cordoba at the daily Mass because of her personality and demeanor.

"She exuded holiness," said Therese Bermphol, the diocese's director of family life. "She was kind to everyone. She was thoughtful. She was maternal."

Those qualities made Cordoba excel at her job, her colleagues said. Caitlin Bootsma, who works in the diocese's communications office, said Cordoba was one of the first people she told she was pregnant nearly two years ago.

Cordoba was so happy for her, Bootsma said. Her love for children shone through.

"The whole way along, she was really reminding me of the joy I was experiencing," Bootsma said.

Since then, Cordoba has made it a point to always ask how the child is doing and to remind mom to hold on to as many special motherhood moments as possible.

"She obviously felt them herself," Bootsma said.

Tom O'Neill, the diocese's assistant director for family life, told a similar story. He was out of work due to a serious illness a few years ago, and Cordoba helped him navigate through the time, assisting with health insurance and disability.

"She was very much about making sure everybody was all right," O'Neill said. "It wasn't just a job for her."

Philippe and Christina remain in stable condition in a hospital. Christina has a broken leg, Donohue said. CBS News reported that Philippe has a skull injury.

They are members of Saint Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax.

At least 78 people are dead and many more injured following Wednesday's derailment, one of the worst crashes in Spain's history.

By all accounts, the train was going too fast when it rounded a curve and flew off the tracks, which was captured on video.


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