Today, January 22, is the memorial of Blessed Laura Vicuña.
Laura was born in 1891 in Santiago, Chile to soldier Jose Domingo and housewife Mercedes Pino. The family moved to Las Lajas, Argentina to escape the Chilean civil war. Jose Domingo was soon killed. With nowhere to turn to, Mercedes allowed herself to become the mistress of hostel owner Manuel Mora.
Manuel paid for the tuition of Laura at the boarding school run by the Salesian Sisters. In that school, Laura’s interest in the Catholic faith grew. She was also determined to become a nun in the future.
Around this time, Laura kept praying for her mother’s salvation, as she believed Mercedes’ immoral relationship is displeasing to God. She was willing to offer her life for her mother.
“Oh my God, I want to love you and serve you all my life,” she wrote in her notebook. “I give you my soul, my heart, my whole self.” She tried to join the Salesians. Because she was just 10 years old, the bishop asked her to wait. Her confessor, sensing that Laura had a deep spiritual calling to the religious life, permitted her to join the Sodality of the Children of Mary.
During her school vacations, Laura resisted Manuel’s lustful desires. She decided to stay out of the house just to avoid him.
In late 1903, Laura fell seriously sick with pulmonary tuberculosis and went back to their house. January 1904, a drunk Manuel tried to intimidate Mercedes and Laura. When Laura tried to escape, Manuel caught her and beat her up until she fell unconscious.
Although Laura became conscious, her illness got worse because of the severe beatings of Manuel. She told her mother before she died, ““Mama, I offer my life for you, I asked our Lord for this. Before I die, Mother, would I have the joy of seeing you repent?”
Mercedes replied: “I promise, I will do whatever you ask me! God is the witness of my promise!” Laura smiled and said: “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Mary! Goodbye, Mother! Now I die happy!” Mercedes kept her promise.
Laura died in 1904 at age 12. In 1988, she was beatified in Rome by Pope St. John Paul II.