St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena – Feast Day – October 21 2023

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Today is Wednesday, March 20, 2024

St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena, also known as Maria Laura Montoya y Upegui, was a Colombian Roman Catholic religious sister and the founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Saint Catherine of Siena.

She was born on May 26 1874 in Jericó, Antioquía, Colombia and died on October 21 1949 at the age of 75 in Belencito, Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia.

We celebrate her feast day on October 21 every year in the Catholic Church.

St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena Biography
St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena
St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena – Feast Day – October 21 2023
Date of Birth May 26 1874
Place of Birth Jericó, Antioquía, Colombia
Profession Roman Catholic religious sister
Place of Work Colombia
Date of Death October 21 1949
Place of Death Belencito, Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia
Feast Day October 21
Beatification Beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 25 2004 in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City
Canonization Canonized by Pope Francis on May 12 2013 in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City
Patron Saint of
  • People suffering from racial discrimination
  • Orphans
  • Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Mary and Saint Catherine of Siena

St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena Life History

María Laura de Jesús Montoya Upegui was born on May 26 1874 in Jericó, Antioquía, Colombia. She was baptized that same day she was born.

She was the second born in a family of three children. Her father was Juan de la Cruz Montoya and her mother was Dolores Upegui.

Her elder sister was Carmelina and her younger brother was Juan de la Cruz. Luisa Upegui was her maternal cousin.

Her father was killed during the Colombian Civil War of 1876. St Laura was sent in 1881 to live in an orphanage managed by her maternal nun aunt María de Jesús Upegui.

In 1890, her aunt sent her to an institution where she was trained as a school teacher and in 1893, Laura Montoya graduated as a teacher.

Laura Montoya wanted to become a cloistered and Discalced Carmelite nun. She felt the zeal to spread the Gospel to the Indian people of South America, especially those facing racial discrimination.

Around that time there was rampant anti-Indian bigotry in her society, and she was determined to fight it with all that she had.

She began working with the natives in the Uraba and Sarare regions where she founded the “Works of the Indians”. She resolved to devote all her life to “become an Indian with the Indians to win them all for Christ.”

She went to Dabeiba with four other women and founded a religious congregation of the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena that was devoted to serving the Indians.

St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena lived the last nine years of her life in a wheelchair due to a prolonged illness. She died on October 21 1949 in Medellín, Colombia.

The Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena presently operate in nineteen countries throughout the Americas as well as in Africa and Europe.

Beatification and Canonization

St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 25 2004 in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, and canonized by Pope Francis on May 12 2013 in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City.

St Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena is the Patron Saint of

1. People suffering from racial discrimination
2. Orphans
3. Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Mary and Saint Catherine of Siena

Other Catholic Saints whose Feast Days are in October

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About Laban Thua Gachie 10721 Articles
The founder of Catholicreadings.org is Laban Thua Gachie. I am a Commissioned Lector, a commissioned Liturgy Minister, and a Commissioned member of the Catholic Men Association. We at Catholic Daily Readings, operate the catholicreadings.org, a Catholic Church-related website and we pride ourself in providing you, on a daily basis the following; 1. Catholic Daily Mass Readings 2. Reflections on those Daily Readings 3. Daily prayers 4. Bible Verse of the Day 5. Saint of the Day