LAURA MONTOYA, HACIA LAS PERIFERIAS DE LA SELVA. PERFIL DE UNA SANTA QUE DEDICÓ SU VIDA A LAS MISIONES CON LOS INDÍGENAS.

The article presents a profile of Santa Laura Montoya, a Colombian saint who dedicated her life to missions with indigenous people. Laura Montoya defied the difficult topography of her country to work in the jungles and remote villages of Colombia, with the aim of making indigenous people see themselves as children of God. She founded the community Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena, known as Las Lauritas, which currently has 580 sisters worldwide. Laura Montoya had a painful childhood and a youth in search of her vocation, but she eventually became a teacher and joined the educational project for women at La Inmaculada school in Medellín. Despite facing difficulties and slander, Laura dedicated herself to teaching her students about religious life and Christian marriage. After a personal experience, Laura felt the vocation to mission with indigenous and minority ethnic groups. With the support of the president of Colombia and Monsignor Crespo, Laura began her missionary work in Dabeiba, a municipality with a significant presence of the Embera Chamí community. The text narrates the story of Laura Montoya, who, along with four women and her father, embarked on a journey to Dabeiba in 1914 to establish a religious community called Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena. Despite facing opposition, they managed to found the community and began to expand through missions and permanent houses in different places. Laura was concerned with transmitting faith and advocated for laws to protect indigenous people and respect their culture. Despite criticism, her work was recognized and approved by the Holy See. The article talks about the life and legacy of Santa Laura Montoya, the only Colombian saint to date. Laura Montoya was a missionary who worked with indigenous people in Colombia, bringing hope and God's love through her work. Despite facing opposition and accusations, Laura Montoya managed to found a religious congregation and left a spiritual legacy through her writings and works. She was recognized for her work and received the Cross of Boyacá, the highest distinction from the Colombian government. Currently, her convent in Medellín is a place of pilgrimage where her remains and belongings can be visited. [Extracted from the article]