The Servant of God Sister Benigna Victim of Jesus > Biography
Biography
Sister Benigna Victima de Jesus
Maria da Conceição Santos was born in the town of Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, on August 16th, 1907. From a simple family, she received the true Christian values of the Catholic religion from her parents. Since early childhood, she manifested divine gifts and a vocation to religious life. She used to take part in celebrations of the Holy Mass, coronations, processions and rosary praying. In her homeland, Sister Benigna did the primary course and learned to play various musical instruments. She was a very virtuous young girl. As catechist and guitar teacher, she evangelized children and adults.
Her calling to the religious life was awakening ever since her childhood. The people who lived with her testify about her special way of dealing with daily situations. She embraced everybody with happiness, atracting people closer to her, ever since this early age. She didn’t get accepted on the first congregation that she wanted to be a part of, on her hometown, because she was black and poor. At that time, Dom Carlos de Carmelo Mota, who was sent to Diamantina to be an Auxiliary Bishop, became a friend of her family. Acknowledging Sister Benigna’s vocation, he presented her the Congregation of the Auxiliary Sisters of Our Lady of Pity, where she stayed on and sanctified herself.
On February 11th, 1935, a day dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, Maria da Conceição Santos joined the Congregation of the Auxiliary Sisters of Our Lady of Pìty. On March 19th, 1936, a day dedicated to Saint Joseph, she made her first religious vows in that congregation of Minas Gerais, changing her name from this date on to Sister Benigna Victima de Jesus. For love and divine inspiration, she chose such name, surrendering to the full will of God.
She began her ministry providing religious services in locations selected by the congregation. The House of Charity Manoel Gonçalves de Souza Moreira, in Itaúna, in the state of Minas Gerais, was the first place she worked for. There, she made her perpetual vows on January 6th, 1941 and graduated in nursing. On January 1st, 1943, she was in charge taking care that house. In her new position, she founded a maternity designed to assist the needy mothers. After 12 years of dedication and work, Sister Benigna ended her mission in the city of Itaúna with great honors, certain that through faith and devotion to Our Lady, she had brought faith and conversion to many families.
Following the steps of saints, Sister Benigna also suffered slander, such as rumors of a possible pregnancy and the charge of being a communist nun. Because of this, in 1948 she was transferred in a police car to St. Louis Nursing Home, in Caeté (MG), where she knew about the maternity demolition in Itaúna.
In this nursing home, on the foot of Serra da Piedade, Sister Benigna was placed in a pigsty, thereby acquiring several diseases. Dr. José Nogueira, doctor and friend, in a visit to Sister Benigna realized the extreme fragility of her health, thus fearing the worst, announced the fact to the headmistress of that house, telling her that the congregation would be blamed for anything that might happen to the religious.
In 1950, Sister Benigna was designated to provide services in a Nursing Hospital in the town of Lambari, (MG). Tireless, she left her marks there, developing a great job as a midwife and nurse, dedicating care and love to everybody without distinction, teaching that the prayer is the strength to overcome all difficulties and the way to obtain the grace of God, and Our Lady. It was bigger, every time, the number of people who recognized the especial gifts on Sister Benigna.
In 1955, Sister Benigna went to Our Lady of Lourdes School in Lavras(MG). There, she taught the students the pity, faith and the importance of the devotion to Our Lady. It was usual to find afflicted students asking for prayers to succeed in their tests. Sister Benigna always prayed with them, showing an example of abnegation, work and mainly charity. To honor Our Lady of Lourdes, Sister Benigna built a marvelous grout which was destroyed after she was transfered to the city of Sabará, also located in Minas Gerais State. There, in 1960, she worked at the Holy House of Mercy, where she dedicated time, affection and love to the needy people. Through the Hail Holy Queen, she taught that everything could be solved through Jesus and Our Lady. A great number of people received benefits and were healed though her prayers. Among doctors, the sick and residents, she showed the path to reach God, taking them to life change and conversion.
In 1963, Sister Benigna came back to provides her services at Nursing Home São Luiz, remaining there until 1966, when she was called to help in the reconstruction of Lar Augusto Silva (Nursing Home), in Lavras, MG, where she did an exquisite job. Through charity, she gathered people of several social classes. The ones who had more resources helped those who were in need. Through her example, people understood the importance of dedicating themselves to the brother. Sister Benigna lead everybody to prayers, the faith, and the conversion. Trough campaigns, joint efforts done with friends, she rebuilt the place, which was going through great necessities, sustaining the orphan children, to the young, the elderly and everyone who sought her. Sister Benigna lived in that house for the last sixteen years of her life. She helped and aided all of those in need. She was always sought by people of all social classes, and treated everyone equally, always with a wide smile, irradiating joy and faith. She had great friends in Belo Horizonte, Lavras, and from other regions of the state, who always came to her assistance.
On June 30th, 1977, in recognition to her works in Lavras community, the City Hall, by unanimous vote, conferred the title of honorary citizen to Sister Benigna. (Draft Resolution: 003/77).
On August 16th, 1980, with the help of friends and with great sacrifice, she inaugurated, inside of the elderly home, the Chapel of St. Joseph, allowing Eucharistic celebrations to be done closer to the elderly. On August 16th, 1981, in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, she opened a beautiful grout in front of the Chapel of St. Joseph.
On September 16th, Sister Benigna organized a big party of fraternization at the School Our Lady of Pity, in Belo Horizonte, for students and former students, teachers, and former employees, in honor of everyone. It was a great reception.
In the night of October 12th of that year, Sister Benigna entered the ICU of the Hospital Prontocor in Belo Horizonte, with severe chest pains. A pacemaker was placed in an attempt to save her life. Even with very poor health, on the hospital bed, she used to pray with every one that was looking for assistance in that hospital..
On October 16th, 1981, after a life of dedication, donation and sharing, the great heart of Sister Benigna stopped. She was gone, quietly, in peace, fighting until the end, concluding her magnificent work. The flowers that covered her coffin were taken by devotees and friends, who instead placed notes with graces requests. Her work here on earth was finished.
