Laura Vicuna
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| Laura Vicuna | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 5, 1891, Santiago, Chile |
| Died | Jaunary 22, 1904 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | |
| Patronage | abuse victims, Argentina, incest victims, loss of parents, martyrs |
 Saints Portal |
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Laura Vicuna is a blessed person in the Roman Catholic Church. She is the patron of abuse victims.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Escape from Chile
She was born the April 5 of 1891,her parents were José Domingo Vicuña and Mercedes Pino. Her father was in the military service and her mother worked at home.
In 1984, after the birth of the second daughter of the Vicuña Pino family Domingo died, leaving his wife and daughters without any money, and in great danger.
[edit] Early years in Argentina
Mercedes and her daughters lived nearby Nequén, a small town in Argentina. She looked for a job so she could pay the education of her daughters, and she find a job in the Quilquihué Hostal. The owner of the Hostal was Manuel Mora. Manuel stocked Mercedes and pushed her to have a relationship with him, in exchange of that, he would pay Laura`s Education.
This how Laura entered the “Hijas of Maria Auxiliadora” school, where she was taught the love for religion. Following her father as an example and with the care of the nuns, she began to find God.
[edit] Vocation of Laura Vicuña
Laura did her first communion in June 2 of 1991, where she shows her vocation of love to God and expressed her wishes for serving the poor and needed people, and she also preferred to die before sinning.
Because of her deep connection with God , many of her school partners did not like her which is why most of her time was spent praying in her school´s chapel.
Even though she was really young , she was very mature, which let her know the problems of her mother and noticed how far she was from God. This motivate her to pray everyday for her mother´s salvation and to help her to leave Manuel.
Her best friend was Mercedes Vera , and with her she expressed all the feelings she had inside, she wanted to become a nun.
[edit] Problems at home
During one of her school vacations, Laura was attacked twice by Manuel Mora, who wanted her to forget about becoming a nun. Even though Manuel attacked her she never stop wanting to serve God.
Manuel stopped paying her education, but the nuns of her school heard her problem an decided to give her an scholarship. Despite this Laura felt that the situation of the her mother had not got any better.
[edit] The sacrifice
One day, remembering the phrase of Jesus: “there is no one greater than the one that give his life for his brothers”, Laura decided to give her life in exchange of the salvation of her mother.
In the next months Laura got sick, and her health was getting worse as the time passed. In of her mother visits, Mora attacked her leaving her injured in her bed
Before dying Laura asked her mother:
“I die, because I asked Jesus, two years ago I offered my life for you, for asking the grace of your salvation”, Mom before I die, ¿Would I have the joy of seeing you repented?”
Mercedes, with tears on her face, Mercedes answered her saying :
“I swear, I would do whatever you asked me, ! God is the witness of my promise!
Finally Laura smiled and said to her mother:
!Thanks, Jesus, !Thanks Mary!, !bye Mom ! !Now I die happy!
In January 22 of 1904, Laura died, who gave her life for the salvation of her mother.
Her body since 1937 to 1958 laid in the Nequén graveyard, and nowadays the are in Bahía Blanca .
After Laura´s death her mother hid in Argentina until she moved to Temuco. In 1906 she returned to the city Junín de los Andes , where her second daughter married Horacio Jones, at the age of twelve.
After her daughter´s marriage, Mercedes moved to Freire, where she married Malitón Parra, a hard worker man. Mercedes died the 17 September of [[1929].
[edit] Beatification Process
The congregation of Salesians started her canonization process in the 1950´s. The congregation gave the duty to Cecilia Genghini, a nun, who spent many years collecting information about her life. However, she did not see her work finished, because she died the same year in which the process started.
Laura could no be considered a martyr, and her young age was seen as a hinderance in people's hopes for her to become a saint. However, In 1981, a miracle was attributed to her and on June 5, 1986, she was declared Venerable.
The miracle which lead to her beatification was the case of Ofelia Del Carmen Lobos Arellano, a nun, who was affected by a problem on her lungs. In August of 1955, doctors told her that she would die in a few months, but she prayed with faith to Laura and she got better. The disease on her lungs disappear subsequently disappeared.
[edit] Legacy
Laura Vicuna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 1989. The Laura Vicuna Foundation, Inc. was established in Manila, Philippines in 1989. The foundation helps in the academic, spiritual and physical well being of streetchildren.
