Bahía Blanca (Argentina). On 8 January 2025, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Bahía Blanca, Msgr. Carlos Azpiroz Costa, through a letter signed by the Auxiliary Bishop, Msgr. Pedro E. Fornau, has established that the Chapel of Mary Help of Christians School of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Laura Vicuña Province (ARG), which houses the remains of Blessed Laura Vicuña, as the place where the grace of plenary indulgence will be granted on 22 January 2025, on the occasion of the liturgical memorial of the Blessed.
The chapel is also recognized as a Jubilee Church, both for the celebration of 22 January 2025, and on the 22nd of each month, as “similar occasions”, in the context of the Holy Year and Jubilee of Hope which ends with the feast of Epiphany 2026.
On 8 December 2024, the Archdiocese of Bahía Blanca had in fact arranged that, in addition to the 10 “jubilee temples” already indicated, “the patron-saint feasts (or similar occasions) of the various parishes, shrines or places of pilgrimage are considered on these occasions as places of Jubilee pilgrimage.”
Regarding the request of the FMA to declare the Chapel as a place to obtain, every 22 January of the following years, under the conditions laid down by the Church, the grace of plenary indulgence, the Bishop expressed his willingness to initiate the request to the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See on behalf of Laura Vicuña Province.
The news aroused the joy of all the FMA and the Educating Communities of the Province, who are preparing to live, together with young people, the Feast of the birth into Heaven of the Blessed in this ‘special’ year for the Church, in which Pope Francis, in the Jubilee Bull of Indiction, invites to live the pilgrimage as a fundamental element of the Jubilee event:
“Setting out is typical of those who go in search of the meaning of life. The pilgrimage on foot greatly promotes the rediscovery of the value of silence, of fatigue, of essentiality.”
Inside the Chapel in an urn transferred on 22 August 2021 nel
in the new space with direct access from the outside, making it possible to venerate the relics of “Laurita”. It is the destination of numerous pilgrims, as well as students of the School who wish to meet her, pray to her, and invoke her for her intercession.
Laura is a “reflection of hope” for many young people who, through her family life lived with love even in the most difficult situations, shows us how to turn pain into love, suffering into joy:
“Laura teaches us and invites us to live every day by valuing the present and accepting what we must live, as it is, in the confident hope of what will be” (Silvia Dupont and Susana Billordo FMA, “Laura Vicuña. Transforming pain into love”).
Nos alegramos mucho en el Divino Querer desde Chile, por esta gran oportunidad, Viva Laurita y pronto sea Canonizada, pues su pureza debe salir a la luz para q se expanda y conquiste el mundo de los jóvenes y niños
Porque si hay q promover algo hoy en el 2025 ha de ser en promoción de las Virtudes y Valores de las familias, la base de todo y de todo bien si nos unimos a los Sacramentos q nos ha dejado N. Señor Jesucristo.