Luz C. Cardona

Luz Celenia Lugo was born on September 13, 1923 in the area of Piletas outside of Lares, Puerto Rico to Juan Lugo and Ramona Castro. Her father was a nephew of the renowned Rev. Juan Lugo and her mother was a sister of Pentecostal pioneer Rev. Roque Castro. They had two younger daughters who were both afflicted by Muscular Sclerosis. On July 12, 1943, "Lucy" as she was known to her family and friends, married José Cardona Vélez, also of Lares and took the responsibility of helping him to raise his previous children including the newborn baby Tito.

Lucy and José had a daughter Elba and 8 years later they had a son, José Anibal. In 1951, shortly after the birth of their son, they moved to Brooklyn, New York. Shortly after moving to New York, they went to visit Rosa Emilia Rodríguez de Castro, Lucy's cousin who invited them to church where both gave its hearts to the Lord that same night.

One year later they lost their daughter who died of a birth defect at the age of 9. A short time later, the Lord called them to the ministry. In 1957, they graduated from the International Biblical Institute in Brooklyn where they later both taught. In 1958, they began to pastor and in 1959, they founded the Iglesia Pentecostal Arca Cristiana, an independent Pentecostal church which today is the mother church and headquarters of a council of seventeen Pentecostal churches in several countries, which their elder son directs.

Together they had many wonderful experiences in the ministry. For example, one day each one said to other that they were feeling led to go to the house of a man who had started visiting their church. When they arrived, they found that his wife was about to take her life due to a severe, painful illness. They prayed for her, she was cured and became an active member of their church for many years. Another night they felt led to leave church in the middle of a prayer service to visit a family that had not come. When they arrived, they found the two teenage sons of that family enraged, on the verge of hurting each other and managed to calm them and resolve the situation. There were many cases of divine healing and liberation from demoniac oppression during their ministry and Lucy became a real mother to several generations of church members.

In 1986, Lucy and José left the ministry and moved to Fort Myers, Florida to live with their younger son who was soon elected pastor of a local church. He was named director of the local Biblical institute where Lucy became a popular faculty member. On April 8, 2003, her husband of almost 60 years died at the age of 86.

On Sunday, January 5, 2014, Lucy was taken to her heavenly home by the Lord at the age of 90. She left behind a loving family, a multitude of brothers and sisters in the Lord, many friends and a very rich spiritual legacy. As one of her many spiritual sons who's now a senior pastor in California said upon hearing of her death: "the many seeds mama Lucy planted over the years will continue to bear fruit as long as those of us she touched continue touching others and working in the ministry. She will be greatly missed."

Interment was in Lee Memorial Park Cemetery, Fort Myers, Florida.

Arrangements are under the direction of Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park. Online condolences may be offered at www.dignitymemorial.com. For information, please call (239)334-4880.