Daughter of Charity and Martyr: 1953-1993
Her life
+ Lindalva was born into a large family in Sitio Malhada da Areai, Açu, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
+ In 1986, she entered the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and her ministry centered on caring for the poor at a hospital in Salvador de la Bahia.
+ On Good Friday, April 9, 1993, Sister Lindalva was attacked by a man who had become obsessed with her. After attempting to rape her, he stabbed her dozens of times and she died a short time later from the wounds. She is honored as a martyr for purity because she died “in defense of chastity.”
+ Blessed Lindalva de Oliveira was beatified in 2007.
Worth knowing
The Daughters of Charity, of which Blessed Lindalva was a member, serve in 94 countries, providing food and clean water for the poor, addressing needs for good sanitation and shelter, and in maintaining hospitals, HIV/AIDS clinics, migrant and refugee assistance programs, and schools.
Quote
“Follow Jesus, who fought until death for the life of sinners and gave his own life, not as God but as man, for the forgiveness of sins. We must seek refuge in him; only in him is life worth living.”—Blessed Lindalva de Oliveira
Prayer
O God, who gladden us today with the annual commemoration of blessed Lindalva, graciously grant that we may be helped by her merits, just as our lives are lit up by the splendor of her example of chastity and fortitude. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Martyrs—For a Virgin-Martyr)
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Saint profiles prepared by Silas Henderson
And today we celebrate...
