IFTTT Autopost 
Today’s hero, a home missionary, was a woman who devoted her life to helping young people as a teacher and, later, as a person who helped troubled youth. Her name was Teresina.
Teresina Elsa Mainetti was born on August 20, 1939 in Villatico, a village of Colico, Lecco, Italy. She was the tenth and last child in her family.
As a youth, Teresina was influenced by the religious Sisters of the Cross who taught her. So, when she turned 18-years old, Teresina joined the order. On August 15, 1959, Teresina made her first vows in the order and took the name Maria Laura. She made her final vows on August 25, 1964.
After teaching primary schools run by the Sisters of the Cross in Vasto, Parma, and Chiavenna, Sr. Maria Laura became head of a convent in Chiavenna that specialized in helping juvenile delinquents.
In the town of Chiavenna, Sr. Maria Laura had the reputation of having a passion for caring the downtrodden of society, especially the poor and disposed young people. People of the town reported that people could always count on Sr. Maria Laura to listen to their problems and, when possible, give them help.
Around 10 p.m. on June 6, 2000, Sr. Maria Laura went to the public square in the town to meet a teenage female. The teen told Sister that she was pregnant from a rape, and was now considering having an induced abortion. When Sister Maria Laura got to the square, the teenage, and two of her teen female friends, led Sister to a secluded area outside a park. There, they began stoning her while shouting abuses. Then, the three killers took turns stabbing Sister. All the while Sister was being stabbed, she asked God to forgive the killers. Sister Maria Laura’s body was found the next day by a passerby.
The three killers were captured three weeks after the murder. They told the authorities that they killed Sister as part of a Satanic sacrifice. The killers said that they tried to stab Sr. Maria Laura eighteen times, six from each teen, for 666 is the number associated with the devil in the Book of Revelation (13: 18).
Sister Maria Laura’s funeral was held on June 9, 2000 and attended by 2,500 people. On June 6, 2021, the twenty-first anniversary of her murder, Sister Maria Laura was beatified.
Blessed Maria Laura’s feast day is June 6.
