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Maria da Conceição Santos, CIANSP (religious name: Benigna Victim of Jesus; 16 August 1907 — 16 October 1981), better known as Sister Benigna, was an Afro-Brazilian mother superior of the Congregation of Auxiliaries of Our Lady of Piety.[1][2]
Benigna Victim of Jesus CIANSP | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 August 1907 Diamantina, Brazil |
| Died | 16 October 1981 (aged 74) Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
On October 15, 2011, the process of her beatification cause was opened by the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte. On February 18, 2022, Pope Francis declared her venerable.[3][4][5][6][7]
Life
editEarly years
editSantos was born on August 16, 1907 in the mining town of Diamantina, and registered as Maria da Conceição Santos.[8] She received a Catholic religious education from her parents as a child.[9] Even as a little girl, she revealed divine gifts and manifested a vocation for religious life.[10] She participated in celebrations of Holy Mass, coronations, processions and prayers of the rosary. In her homeland, Maria went to primary school and learned to play various musical instruments. As a catechist and guitar teacher, she evangelized children and adults.[11]
Religious life
editOn February 11, 1935, a day dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, Maria joined the Congregation of the Auxiliary Sisters of Our Lady of Piety. On March 19, 1936, the day dedicated to St. Joseph, she made her first religious vows in this congregation of Minas Gerais. From this date on, she became Sister Benigna Victima de Jesus.[12]
She began her apostolate by providing religious services in the places designated by the congregation.[13] The Manoel Gonçalves de Souza Moreira Charity House, in Itaúna, was the first place where she worked. There, she took perpetual vows on January 6, 1941, and graduated from nursing. On January 1, 1943, she was appointed Mother Superior, thus assuming the direction of this house. In his new position, she founded a maternity hospital that assisted needy mothers.
Sister Benigna suffered slander,[14] such as rumors of a possible pregnancy and the accusation of being a communist nun, and was therefore in 1948 transferred in a police car to Asilo São Luiz, in Serra da Piedade, in Caeté, where she learned of the demolition of the maternity in Itaúna.[15]
In Serra da Piedade, Sister Benigna was placed in a sty, thus acquiring various diseases.[16] She was visited there by her friend, doctor José Nogueira, who realized the extreme fragility of her health. Fearing the worst, he communicated this to the director of the house, telling him that the congregation would be held responsible if something happened to her.
In 1950, Sister Benigna was assigned to provide services as a midwife and nurse in an asylum hospital in the city of Lambari.
In 1955, Sister Benigna went to Our Lady of Lourdes College, in Lavras. To the students of the school, she taught piety, faith, and devotion to Our Lady. It was common to find distressed students asking Sister Benigna for prayers to do well in the exams. In honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sister Benigna built a cave that was destroyed, shortly after her transfer to the city of Sabará. In this city, in the year 1960, Sister Benigna worked at the Holy House of Mercy.
In 1963, Sister Benigna returned to provide her services at Asilo São Luiz, remaining there until 1966, when she was called to help rebuild the Lar Augusto Silva, in Lavras.
Sister Benigna lived in this house for the last sixteen years of her life.. She was always sought after by people from all walks of life. She had great friends in Belo Horizonte, Lavras, and other regions of Minas Gerais, who always had her in difficult moments. When food was missing from the asylum, she called these friends and it was soon taken care of.
On June 30, 1977, in recognition of the work done to the community of Lavras, the city council by unanimous vote conferred Sister Benigna the title of honorary citizen.
On August 16, 1980, Sister Benigna, with the help of her friends, inaugurated the Chapel of St. Joseph, allowing Eucharistic celebrations to be held for the elderly of the asylum in a nearby place. On August 16, 1981, in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, she inaugurated a beautiful grotto, in front of the Chapel of St. Joseph.
Illness and death
editOn the night of October 12 of the same year, Sister Benigna was admitted to the urgent care center of Prontocor Hospital, in Belo Horizonte, with severe chest pains. A pacemaker was placed in an attempt to save her life. Even though her health was very poor, she prayed with everyone who sought her.[17]
On October 16, 1981, Sister Benigna died.[18]
Devotion
editSister Benigna, even after her death, remains a popular figure.[19] Her name elevates and praises the Congregation of the Auxiliary Sisters of Our Lady of Piety. Thousands of devotees continue to ask for her intercession because of the countless miracles attributed to her.
She is recognized as the Saint of the Hour, besides having become for her devotees the Saint of the Hail Queen and of Prosperity, due to the strength of her intercession. Every Monday, at 14:00, the faithful gathered in prayer in his tomb, in the Cemetery of Bonfim, where Holy Mass was celebrated and prayed, then the Novena of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii. After the transfer of the remains of the religious to the Novitiate Our Lady of Piety, both The Holy Mass and the Novena were transferred to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Conception, in the Lagoinha neighborhood, where devout members, keeping the same day and time, continue to gather in prayer, in the desire that, soon, she is revered in churches of Brazil and the world.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Benigna Cardoso da Silva". www.causesanti.va (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Missas em ação de graça pela vida e santidade da Irmã Benigna – 16 de janeiro". Arquidiocese de Belo Horizonte. 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Beatificação da mineira Irmã Benigna avança mais uma etapa". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ CNA. "Pope Francis advances sainthood cause of cardinal who organized 1st World Youth Days". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Vaticano reconhece virtudes heroicas da religiosa mineira Irmã Benigna". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Horizonte, Belo; hoje, 18 Fev 22 / 02:30 pm-A. mineira irmã Benigna Victima de Jesus foi declarada venerável; Santos, 18 de fevereiro Durante audiência concedida ao prefeito da Congregação para as Causas dos; Semeraro, cardeal Marcello; Piedade, o papa Francisco autorizou a promulgação do decreto que reconhece as virtudes heroicas de irmã Benigna Religiosa da Congregação das Irmãs Auxiliadoras de Nossa Senhora da; Em 1981, Morreu; de 1907, em Belo Horizonte Irmã Benigna nasceu em 16 de agosto; simples, em Diamantina Recebeu o nome de batismo Maria Conceição dos Santos De família; missas, recebeu dos pais os valores cristãos e logo manifestou a vocação para a vida religiosa Participava das. "Mineira irmã Benigna Victima de Jesus é declarada venerável". www.acidigital.com. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "A mineira Irmã Benigna: reconhecidas as virtudes heroicas – Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va (in Portuguese). 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Papa Francisco assina decreto, e Irmã Benigna será declarada beata [18/02/2022]". noticias.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Fórneas, Vitor (2022-03-04). "Irmã Benigna é reconhecida como 'Venerável' e devotos comemoram: 'Gratidão' | O TEMPO". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Redação, Da (2022-02-19). "Processo de beatificação da Irmã Benigna avança com reconhecimento do Papa Francisco". Hoje em Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Irmã Benigna e outros cinco Servos de Deus serão beatificados | Gaudium Press". gaudiumpress.org (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Conheça a história da irmã Benigna: a Santa da Fartura em Minas Gerais - A12.com". www.a12.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ eltonchitolina (2022-02-22). "Brasileira, irmã Benigna Victima de Jesus é declarada venerável". Aleteia: vida plena com valor (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ EFE, Gazeta do Povo com informações da Agência. "Papa Francisco reconhece "virtudes heroicas" da Irmã Benigna, que será declarada beata". Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Mesquita, Publicado por Bruno. "Domingo será dia de comemorações pela vida da Irmã Benigna na Matriz" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ pakosloski1022 (2022-02-22). "3 Religious with disabilities advance on the road to canonization". Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Menezes, João Eduardo Santana e Enzo (2022-03-05). "Católicos celebram reconhecimento de Irmã Benigna como 'Venerável'". Rádio Itatiaia. Archived from the original on 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ "Relíquia de Irmã Benigna é acolhida no Santuário Nossa Senhora da Piedade – Jornal Virou Notícia" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "90 Salve Rainhas". Totus Mariae (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Relíquias de Irmã Benigna são acolhidas com festa em Belo Horizonte". Arautos do Evangelho (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2023-02-14.