Feast of Blessed Laura Del Carmen Vicuna Pino.

IMPORTANT FACTS:

Little Laura was a serious girl for those who did not know her but to those who knew her,she was their
little Guardian Angel.For she took care of them with love even through her own weakness the
LIGHT OF CHRIST was shining through her soul.
Laura learned to repay love with love for her classmates and the Nuns in her school.She helped the younger children with making their beds and combing their hair or mending their clothes.She was a peacemaker for the children's quarrels.

Age 11,Laura realised her call to religious life and asked her Bishop for approval to become a Salesian
sister but He replied:"Just wait a little longer child." When Laura told her confessor about her plan,he
advised her that if she made such an offer, God might accept it and would take her life quickly.The
words of her confessor made her more confident in offering her prayers.She offered this special prayer
of hers during her First  Holy Communion.

Laura often called the Blessed Sacrament,"Jesus' Little House".The nuns taught her about the true presence of Jesus is alive in the tabernacle and that all prayers offered up infront of the Blessed Sacrament
is always answered by Jesus.During her free time,she spent many hours infront of the Blessed Sacrament,
praying for her mother to leave Manuel Mora and to start living in a holy state.One of her constant prayers before the tabernacle became,"Jesus, I wish that Mama would know You better and be happy."

During her holidays,Laura will go back to her home but could never find peace at there due to Manuel Mora's evil attitude.She wanted to pray as a family but was never given that chance.Manuel Mora on the other hand,hated anyone praying at home so it made difficult for Laura to pray.Her mother warned her not
to let Manuel Mora know about her praying.She had no place to pray at home so she was forced to pray
in between the bushes outside her house.Her sister use to join her during her pray time among the bushes.
Though it was difficult,she offered all her sufferings to Jesus for her mother's conversion.Laura used to invite her mother to join her and her sister for prayers but her mother gave her a lot of excuses.Laura's heart grew sad each time her mother rejected prayers but made her will stronger to offer up her life for her mother.

There was once Manuel Mora asked her to dance with him but she refused and hid herself outside in the dark while praying and holding on to her Miraculous Medal of Our Lady for protection because she knew she could not depend on her mother for help so she turn to her Heavenly Mother in Heaven.Manuel Mora could not find her and he was in fury that he lashed his anger on her mother.He whipped Laura's mother
until she was badly bruised for not persuading Laura to dance with him.He took revenge by not paying the tuition fees at school but the nuns heard about the incident and offered to accept Laura and sister for free
but her mother was too embarrassed to accept the charitable offer so she sent only Laura back to school and kept Julia with her at home.

Soon Laura's prayers was slowing being answered that her health started to decrease rapidly.In the year 1903,Laura became ill during the winter.Her mother begged her to come home with her,and the superior
told Laura, "Your mother needs you more than you need her. You must go." Laura was scared to go home because of Manuel Mora but obeyed her superiors advise.

Manuel Mora was excited to see Laura back and weak.He thought it was a good time to get her for his evil needs.Laura knew his evil intention and continued holding on to the Miraculous Medal and praying the Hail Mary's frequently.Manuel Mora tried to catch her but she tried to escape.He was furious that Laura rejected him.Due to that,Laura was beaten unconscious by her mother's lover.He never bother about her being ill.

She was alive for a week,as her mother and the Nuns kept watch over her.Father Crestanello, her confessor, came and heard Laura's confession and gave her absolution. He had questions,but Laura told him that she forgave Manuel Mora and bore him no ill will.Deep down in her heart,she hoped that he would change and find God.

On January 21, Laura and her younger sister were alone. Laura asked her sister Julia Amanda to promise her something and Julia Amanda  wrote down the memory of the words Laura said to her.This was what Laura told her: "Be good to Mama, don't give her trouble; respect her always.Don't ever leave
her, even if later on you will have a family of your own. Don't look down upon the poor, but be kind to them. Love Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin. Pray every day to your Guardian Angel to keep you from sin.Don't forget, Julia, we will be together in Heaven."

After Laura's death at about 6pm in the evening of January 22, 1904, Laura's mother went to the chapel to make her confession.Through all the sacrifices done by Laura her courageous daughter,she finally returned to the practice of the Catholic Faith and thanked Laura each day for her conversion.Laura's mother knew that even after her death,Laura is still praying and looking after her from Heaven.Laura's mother could still feel Laura's love and gentle presence around her.

Soon the story of Little Laura was known,thanks to the help of her Religious brothers and sisters who took
a lot of time in explaining her life story to many.Laura's life story grew and became well known and her name
was soon known in Vatican but Laura could not be considered a martyr, and because of her young age, there was not much hopes for her beatification.It seemed hopeless for sometime but God wanted her to
be known and in 1981, the last requirement was filled out by the congregation and on June 5, 1986, she
was declared Venerable.

Original image of Blessed Laura Vicuna

Process of BEATIFICATION for Laura Vicuna : A miracle attributed to her by the nun Ofelia del Carmen Lobos Arellano. In August 1955, doctors told Sister Ofelia that she would die of lung cancer in
a few months, but she turned in faith to pray,seeking the intercession of Little Laura,the disease disappeared. September 3, 1988 saw Laura's beatification by Pope John Paul II. 
Her feast day is celebrated on January 22.

Laura was beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II in 1988, on the 100th Anniversary of the death of
St John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Order, for whom Laura was a testimony of these words:
“One can only have happiness in life if one is with peace with God and in His Grace.There is nothing more important in life than being in God’s Grace. And there is nothing more virtuous than bringing those who are living in sin back to His Grace”.

Painting of Blessed Laura Vicuna in Paradise,walking with the Heavenly Virgins.

She is holding a lily given to her by Mother Mary.

When Pope John Paul II beatified Laura on September 3, 1988, he called Blessed Laura the

 "Eucharistic flower of Junin de Los Andes, whose life was 

a poem of purity, sacrifice,

 and filial love."

Quotes of Blessed Laura Vicuna:

• I offer my life for my mother
• I want to do all I can to make God known and loved
• Oh my God,I want to love you and serve you all my life.I give 
• you my soul,my heart,my whole self.

A statue of Laura Vicuna at the Catholic Church

PRAYER TO BLESSED LAURA VICUNA:
O Eucharistic Flower of Jesus,you who follow the words of Jesus,"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends".Teach us to be patient during times of trials and to pray for our friends and family members just like you did.Grant us the grace to keep faithful in constant prayers to Jesus that we may one day see the fruits of our prayers.Blessed Laura,intercede fervently for us and obtain for us a peaceful and trusting heart in Our Lord Jesus Christ.Amen.
Blessed Laura Vicuna whose life was a poem of purity,sacrifice and filial love, pray for us!

Feast of Blessed Devasahayam Pillai

IMPORTANT FACTS:

He was rich and possessed rich wealth in terms of landed properties.He was very friendly with people

and it was during their influential roles under the King of Travancore that Devasahayam Pillai and 

De Lannoy became good friends.De Lannoy’s Catholic Faith interested Devasahayam and De Lannoy enlightened him on the faith,leading to his conversion in 1745. 

For 9 months, Devasahayam travelled to Vadakkankulam and learned the truths of Catholic faith

and visited the community of Christians in the neighbourhood.His God-Father at baptism,

Chithambram Pillai,was with him briefly in Travancore and he also helped him to see Catholic 

communities for himself. This enabled him to get to know the customs and the life of the ordinary

Catholics of those times.It seemed that the baptismal transformation was already in him because he

could not be stopped any more.He wanted to be baptized out of a deep personal conviction.

He once again assured the priest:

“Father, no one compels me to become a Catholic.If I have come to you, 

it is because I have such a strong Faith, that nothing could tear it out of my heart,

 and I am ready to sacrifice for it, all that still remains of my former wealth,

 my position, my family and even my life.”

At baptism he received the name "Devasahayam" which is a Tamil rendering of the biblical name Lazarus,which means "God has helped".After baptism,he made it a habit to go for daily Mass,to receive Holy Communion and went often for Confession.He prayed the Rosary daily which made him draw closer to Mother Mary.His great desire was after baptism was to bring others to the Catholic Faith.His preaching on the Catholic Faith was so strong that his wife who was against his baptism soon was baptized and given the name "Gnanapoo" which meant "Theresa".

He thanked God daily for the grace of his conversion to the Catholic Faith.He read the Catholic books 

and followed the practice of virtues and faith properly and mainly with full of love.He read aloud books
of piety, especially the lives of saints, for the benefit of the bystanders, too. In addition to the fast
prescribed by the church,Blessed Devasahayam fasted on all Fridays and Saturdays in homage to the
dying Christ and to the Mother of God.

Once he was arrested,a priest brought him communion secretly and listen to his confession (during the day). Blessed Devasahayam received it with great love and devotion.He treasured Jesus like a precious pearl
in his heart.He desired to receive this Sacraments often,but it was not possible.Sadly,access to him was difficult for priests but Jesus continued to pour down special graces upon Blessed Devasahayam each
time he had the chance to receive Jesus because when Blessed Devasahayam had the chance to receive,
his heart was wide open to receive the Lord Jesus.

At Puliyoorkurichy :
Blessed Devasahayam was brought to a small place called Puliyoorkurichy where he was placed on
a rock. He was overcome by thirst and asked for water but they gave him sewage water.Being
refused water to drink he prayed to God weeping in deep sadness,and hit the rock with his elbow,
which gave forth water in a miraculous way he could drink.The miraculous rock fountain at
Puliyoorkurichy is a constant reminder of this kind of torture(and God’s grace of miraculous water 
from the rock).  

Preview : The Sound of the Bell Rock

This rock continues even today to give water and even 

now people visit this fountain in large numbers. 

The Bone Relics of Blessed Devasahayam :

Some people believe that the soldiers went up the forested hills and tried to shoot Devasahayam,but 

were unable to fire; after which he took the gun in his hands, blessed it and gave it back to the soldiers 

to shoot him to death, if they wished to. The soldiers took the gun back and fired at him five times.

His body was then carelessly thrown out near the foothills at Kattadimalai.

Venerable:

June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes 

of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues" – a major step towards beatification – and Pillai

was then referred to as "Venerable".

During The Beatification: 

The STATUE of Blessed Devasahayam 

Pillai being blessed with incense by Cardinal Angelo Amato.

Beatification and declaration as a martyr:

Devasahayam Pillai was declared a Martyr and Blessed on 2 December 2012, at a solemn ceremony 

held in the Diocese of Kottar.

PRAYER TO BLESSED DEVASAHAYAM:
O Glorious Martyr,Blessed Devasahayam pray for those hardened sinners who have gone astray and
for those who do not know Christ.May their hearts be soften with thy powerful prayers and grant them
the grace to experience the joy of knowing the love of Jesus and Mary like how thou experienced it
during thy lifetime.Guide poor sinners to the light of Christ and may they be converted to the Catholic
Faith through thy intercession.Amen.
Blessed Devasahayam,Martyr of the Prince of Peace,intercede for poor sinners to be converted to the Catholic Faith!

Feast Day of Saint Andre Bessette of MONTREAL

IMPORTANT FACTS:

Brother Andre was only a porter,a doorman,at a college owned and operated by his religious congregation.

He was not a priest; therefore he could neither offer Mass nor preach.He was a little man, both in size.

His parents were devout Catholics who, by their own example, taught their children the virtuous habits
of prayer and hard work,habits which were to become for little Alfred the key to his ultimate sanctity as Brother Andre. When he was 6 years old,his father was killed in a lumbering accident near the town of Farnham. 4 years later,his mother,trying to raise twelve children single-handedly,contracted tuberculosis
and was forced to put the children up for adoption. Keeping with her only the feeblest one, Alfred,
she went to live with her sister,Mrs. Timothée Nadeau,in St. Cesaire.
Brother Andre did recalled his mother's words to her children and it was:

"My dear little ones,it has been six years since your papa left us to go to Heaven.

The good God is coming to look for me in my turn.

Pray for me.Do not forget the tomb of your father.

My body will repose beside his in the cemetery at Farnham.

From the height of Heaven I will watch over you.”

The words from his devout mother left a great impression on him.Years later,he often spoke of his mother,Brother Andre said: 

“I rarely pray for her,but very often I pray to her.”

Along his life journey,he met Father Provençal who put Brother André on that road which,for him,would 

end in perfection— the road to a religious vocation.He was weak in every work he did and it made

him feel sick but one thing he was not weak in and that was his PERFECTNESS IN PRAYER AND CONSTANT HOLINESS amidst his weakness.

His spare time was spent either in the presbytery of the parish,talking to Father Provençal, or in the

church itself in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in prayer for hours at a time.During these years 

that he started what was to be his lifelong habit — long, deep conversations with Saint Joseph.

When crowds came to the Oratory for important celebrations,Brother Andre would go into solitude.

He would hide behind the choir and pray quietly.

In the meantime, there was talk of healings which doctors could not explain. Brother Andre began
visiting the sick and earned the reputation of Miracle-Worker.But he strongly protested:
"I am nothing ... only a tool in the hands of Providence, a lowly instrument at the service of
St. Joseph." He went even further: "People are silly to think that I can perform miracles. It is
God and St. Joseph who can heal you, not I."

His devotion to Saint Joseph was so great that he had such a beautiful idea planned by prayers and
that is how the New Oratory of St.Joseph slowly came into progress.Soon the New Oratory of
St.Joseph was being built,and Brother Andre said:

"God chose the most ignorant one.If there was anyone more 

ignorant than I am, God would have chosen him instead of me."

During the big project of building St.Joseph's Oratory,there were some problem with the funds and
was not able to build a proper roof.So the provincial summoned Brother Andre for his opinion.

The aging brother had only a few words for the assembly: 

"This is not my work, it is the work of St. Joseph. 

Put one of his statues in the middle of the building. 

If he wants a roof over his head,

he'll take care of it."

This is the statue of Saint Joseph which until today stays 

bright in the middle of the building.

To live in God's house is heaven, Brother Andre said: "You know, it is permitted to desire death 

if one's unique goal is to go toward God.When I die, I will go to heaven, I will be much closer

to God than I am now; I will have more power to help you."

*Pope John XXIII allowed the cause for “Brother André” to be introduced in Rome

on November 9, 1960.An important step by which Brother André became known 

as a “Servant of God” on the official road to canonization.

*Pope Paul VI declared him “Venerable” on June 12, 1978 after recognizing the

heroicity of the virtues of Brother André was issued.

* Pope John Paul II participated in the solemn rite of beatification on May 23, 

1982 in St. Peter’s Square in Rome,due to Joseph Audino of Rochester,New York 
who had been cured of cancer in 1958 after having invoked Brother André.

* Finally Pope Benedict XVI presented “Saint André Bessette” to the universal 
Church,during a solemn rite of canonization which took place on October 17, 2010, 
in Rome due to the stunning recovery of a child who was involved in a traumatic
street accident in 1999 that attributed to Blessed Brother André because the 
child’s parents as well as friends of the family had addressed their prayers to him, hoping that the impossible might take place.  

This is the relic of Saint Andre Bessette,features a glass vial containing 
a few fragments of his heart.It has already visited several places.

Saint Jospeh's Oratory of Mount Royal was founded by Saint Andre Bessette.

This is the effect of his prayers and complete trust in Saint Jospeh,Foster

Father of Jesus.Though Saint Andre was a not famous in education,he was very

well known for his prayers with St.Joseph to Jesus.

If anyone were to ask any Canadian for the name of the person who built this magnificent 

Church of St.Joseph,he would be told, “Brother André.” Yet this humble little lay brother’s name 

does not appear on any of the official records of the building of the Oratory but I am sure in Heaven 

it is written in Gold Bold fonts in the official records of Heaven that 'Brother Andre built this magnificent church with his trusting prayers to Heaven.'Truly it is because of Brother Andre's 

prayers and strong devotions to Saint Joseph;this church was built. 

       

Quotes of Saint Andre Bessette :

• "Do not seek to have these trials lifted from you.Instead, ask for the grace to bear them well."
• "It is surprising that I am frequently asked for cures, but rarely for humility and the spirit of faith. Yet, they are so important...."
• "God gave us the commandments and it is in observing them that we show whether we love God. Pray that you may obtain a true love of God. God loves us so much. He wants us to love Him."
• "If the soul is sick,one must begin by treating the soul."

PRAYER TO SAINT ANDRE BESSETTE:
O Holy Saint of Montreal,intercede for us with Saint Joseph thy Holy Patron.Guide us in our journey
to Heaven on the narrow road.Grant us the grace to trust like how you did with unwavering faith.May
we by trusting in Jesus and through your intercession;receive graces in abundance from thy place
in Heaven.Amen.
Saint Andre Bessette,Friend of the Loving Saint Joseph,pray for us to Jesus!