She was the fifth iyalorixá (chief priestess) of Ilê Axé Opô Afonjá, a Candomblé terreiro in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

She was named the fifth iyalorixá of Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá on March 19, 1976, succeeding Mãe Ondina de Oxalá (1916-1975).

[1] Mãe Stella de Oxóssi visited Yoruba holy sites in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria beginning in 1981.

Mãe Stella also began to write articles and books on Candomblé traditions and practices, which were largely orally transmitted into the 20th century.

Mãe Stella campaigned for the recognition of Ilê Axé Opô Afonjá by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN).

She advocated for the removal of statues of Catholic saints from Candomblé altars, and used the Yoruba language-term iyalorixá instead of the Portuguese mãe de santo.

[2]Mãe Stella de Oxóssi moved to the city of Nazaré das Farinhas in the interior of Bahia in 2017 after a stroke.