Saint Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena
Saint Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena (born May 26, 1874 AD in Jericó, Antioquia, Colombia; died October 21, 1949 AD in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia) was a Colombian foundress, the first Colombian-born person to be canonized a saint. Born María Laura Montoya Upegui, she founded the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena in 1914 to evangelize indigenous peoples of Colombia and Latin America. She was canonized by Pope Francis on May 12, 2013. Her feast day is October 21.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena
| Saint Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 21 |
| Profession | Foundress; missionary sister; teacher; apostle to indigenous peoples |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena (MSMIC); missionary to indigenous peoples of Colombia |
| Patronage | Colombia; indigenous peoples of Latin America; missionaries to indigenous peoples; Antioquia; Jericó; women religious missionaries |
| Attributes | Missionary habit; indigenous symbols; Colombia's mountains and jungles; the image of Saint Catherine of Siena (from her congregation's name) |
| Birthplace | Jericó, Antioquia, Colombia |
| Death Place | Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia |
| Cause of Death | Natural death after a life of missionary service; she died in Medellín on October 21, 1949 |
| Primary Shrine | Motherhouse of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena, Medellín, Colombia — where she lived and died; principal pilgrimage site for her veneration in Colombia |
| Liturgical Class | Feast in Colombia; October 21; observed in the congregation globally |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar (canonized 2013) |
Biography
María Laura Montoya Upegui was born on May 26, 1874, in Jericó, Antioquia, Colombia, into a devout Catholic family. Her father died when she was a child. She worked as a teacher and eventually came to feel a deep call to evangelize the indigenous peoples of Colombia.
In 1908 she traveled to the Chocó region, one of the most remote and impoverished areas of Colombia, to begin missionary work among the Emberá and other indigenous peoples. She lived among them, learned their languages, and was welcomed as a mother figure — called Mamá Laura.
In 1914 she founded the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena (MSMIC) to continue and expand this work. The congregation established missions throughout Colombia's indigenous territories.
She spent her later years in Medellín, where she died on October 21, 1949. Pope John Paul II beatified her in Rome in 2004. Pope Francis — in one of the early canonical acts of his pontificate — canonized her in Saint Peter's Square on May 12, 2013. She was the first person born in Colombia to be canonized.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Jericó, Antioquia, Colombia
Death location: Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Notable location:
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Notable location: Her birthplace; Jericó is a small mountain town in Antioquia; it is also the birthplace of Blessed Marco Ulpiano Meléndez, another Colombian holy person; the town is associated with an unusual concentration of Colombian Catholic holiness (Jericó, Antioquia, Colombia)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Motherhouse of the MSMIC, Medellín, Colombia — where she lived and died; principal pilgrimage site.
Feast day
October 21
Veneration
Saint Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena was canonized by Pope Francis on May 12, 2013. She is the first Colombian-born person to be canonized and the patron of Colombian missionary work among indigenous peoples.
Prayers
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