Skip to content

St. Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena

Facts

Feastday: October 21
Patron: People suffering from racial discrimination, Orphans, Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Mary and of Saint Catherine of Siena
Birth: 1874
Death: 1949
Beatified: 25 April 2004, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Canonized: 12 May 2013, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope Francis

Author and Publisher - Catholic Online
Printable Catholic Saints PDFs
Shop St. Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena

Image of St. Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena As a young woman, Laura Montoya Upegui, of Jerico, Colombia, became an elementary schoolteacher to help support her widowed mother. Having developed her spiritual life through devotion to the Eucharist and meditation upon the Scriptures, Laura felt drawn to the religious life of the Discalced Carmelites. Yet her zeal also instilled in her a longing for an active, missionary apostolate, particularly to assist the Indian peoples of South America. Laura was determined to combat the anti-Indian bigotry in her society, and to give her own life to the Indians' evangelization. Finally, at the age of forty, having resolved to "become an Indian with the Indians to win them all for Christ," Laura journeyed to Dabeiba with four other women to begin a religious congregation devoted to the service of the Indians, the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena. As mother superior, she imparted to the congregation a rule that combined contemplation with action. After having spent the last nine years of her life confined to a wheelchair, Mother Laura died on October 21, 1949.

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Saint of the Day logo
Prayer of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.