Pope convokes consistory for canonization of three Blessed
(Vatican Radio) Pope Benedict XVI has convoked a public ordinary consistory for a
vote on the cause of canonisation of three Blessed for Monday, February 11th
next. They are:
Blessed Antonio Primaldo and companions, martyrs; Blessed
Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya Y Upegui, virgin, foundress of the Congregation
of the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and St Catherine of Siena, Blessed Maria
Guadalupe Garcia Zavala, (Mother Laura ) co-foundress of the Congregation of the Handmaids
of St Margaret Mary (Alacoque) and the Poor. Blessed Antonio was
a tailor in the city of Otranto, Italy, in the 1400s. In 1480 the city was invaded
by Turkish Muslims who threatened to kill all the men, but promised to grant their
lives and the freedom of their women and children if they renounced their faith. Antonio
remained firm, and encouraged his fellow citizens to stand strong in their
faith. He was the first to be beheaded, followed by 799 others. Relics
of the Blessed Martyrs of Otranto are held in the Cathedral crypt
Laura
Montoya Upeguiwas born on 26 May 1874 in Jericó, Antioquia, Colombia,
the second of three children to Juan de la Crux Montoya and Dolores Upegui. When
Laura was only 2 years old, her father was killed defending his Country, and the family
was left in extreme poverty after all their goods were confiscated. At such a time
of deep misery and loss, Laura's mother gave an example of Christian forgiveness and
fortitude that would remain impressed in her young daughter's mind and heart forever.
Childhood suffering, divine help Following her father's death, Laura
was sent to live with her grandmother. She suffered greatly from misunderstandings
and the lack of affection, feeling she had been left "orphaned". However, she
accepted with love the sacrifices and loneliness she experienced and sought refuge
in God. As she grew older, she was especially sustained by meditation on Sacred
Scripture and the strength she received from the Eucharist. When Laura was 16,
her mother decided that her daughter needed to help the family in its financial difficulties
and told her to apply to become a teacher. Although Laura was culturally and academically
"ignorant", having grown up without a formal education, she asked to enter the "Normale
de Institutoras" of Medellín to receive training to become an elementary school teacher.
She was accepted and stood out for her high marks among the students. Called
to "teach Christ' Laura began teaching in different parts of Antioquia. She
did not limit herself to educating the students simply in academic knowledge, but
sought to diffuse Gospel teaching and values. She also felt called to the religious
life, her heart set on God alone, and dreamed of one day becoming a cloistered Carmelite
nun; at the same time, though, she felt growing within her the desire to spread the
Gospel to the farthest corners of the earth, to those who had never met Jesus Christ.
She was ready to renounce her own "dream" of Carmel to be open to God's project,
if his will was otherwise. "An Indian with the Indians' At one time
during her teaching career, Laura felt decidedly drawn to helping the Indian population
in South America and wished to insert herself into their culture, to "become an Indian
with the Indians to win them all for Christ". Recognizing their dignity as human beings
in an epoch when they were considered by many as "wild beasts", Laura wanted to destroy
this racial discrimination and to personally sacrifice herself in order to bring them
Christ's love and teaching. On 14 May 1914, she left Medellín together with four
other young women and headed to Dabeiba to live among the native Indians. This new
religious family, assisted by the Bishop of Santa Fe de Antioquia and known as the
"Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and St Catherine of Siena", was thought by some to
be nothing more than a family of "religious goats", who were heading off into the
wilderness to give the "beasts" a living Gospel catechism. Laura, however, cared
little for public opinion, even if some of the comments made came right from within
the Christian community itself. Pedagogy of love Mother Laura composed
for her "daughters" a directory and other writings (her Autobiography among them)
to help them understand better their call to serve God among the Indians, and to live
a balance between apostolic and contemplative life. She taught by example the "pedagogy
of love" as the only way to teach the Indians, the way which allowed access into their
heart and culture to bring them Jesus Christ. Mother Laura died on 21 October
1949 in Medellín, after a long and painful illness. The last nine years of her life
were lived in a wheelchair, where she continued to teach by example, word and writing.
Today her Missionary Sisters work in 19 countries throughout America, Africa and
Europe. María Guadalupe García Zavalawas born on 27 April
1878 in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, to Fortino García and Refugio Zavala de García.
As a child she was known for her piety and made frequent visits to the Basilica
of Our Lady of Zapopan, which was located next to the religious goods shop run by
her father. Her love for God was particularly demonstrated in her love for the poor.
"No' to matrimony, "yes' to Jesus With uncommon transparency and simplicity,
María treated everyone with equal love and respect. Although as a young woman
she planned to marry Gustavo Arreola, she suddenly broke off her engagement when she
was 23 years old. The reason: María "understood" that Jesus was calling her to love
him with an undivided heart as part of the religious life, and she fully believed
that she was called to do this by giving assistance to the poor and sick. Foundress
of the "Servants' When María confided to her spiritual director, Fr Cipriano
Iñiguez, her "sudden change of heart", he told her that for some time he had the inspiration
to found a religious congregation that would provide assistance to the hospitalized.
He invited María to join him in this foundation. The new Congregation, which officially
began on 13 October 1901, was known as the "Handmaids of St Margaret Mary (Alacoque)
and the Poor". "Poor with the poor' María worked as a nurse, giving
assistance to the first patients that were welcomed into "their hospital". Regardless
of the poverty and lack of material goods of the patients, compassion and care for
the physical and spiritual well-being of the sick were the primary concerns, and María
gave of herself wholeheartedly to carry out this task of love. Sr María was named
Superior General of the quickly-growing Congregation, and taught the Sisters entrusted
to her, mostly by means of her example, the importance of living a genuine and joyful
exterior and interior poverty. She was convinced that it was only through loving and
living poverty that one could be truly "poor with the poor". Indeed, Mother María
was known for her simplicity, humility and willingness to accept all that came from
the hand of God. In times of "dire straits", Mother María asked her spiritual
director for permission to go begging in order to collect money for the hospital.
Together with other Sisters, she would seek offerings until the needs of the hospital
and patients were met, and would ask no more than was necessary. The Sisters also
worked in parishes to assist the priests and to teach catechism. Risking life
to help those hiding From 1911 until 1936, the political-religious situation
in Mexico became uneasy and the Catholic Church underwent persecution. Mother María
put her own life at risk to help the priests and the Archbishop of Guadalajara to
"go into hiding" in the hospital. She did not limit her charity simply to helping
the "righteous", but also gave food and care to the persecutors who lived near the
hospital; it was not long before they, too, began defending the sick in the hospital
run by the Sisters. The last two years of Mother María's life were lived in extreme
suffering because of a grave illness, and on 24 June 1963, she died at the age of
85. During the lifetime of the foundress, 11 foundations were established in the
Republic of Mexico. Today, the Congregation has 22 foundations and is present
in five different Nations: Mexico, Peru, Iceland, Greece and Italy.