Early years

Santos was born on August 16, 1907 in the mining town of Diamantina, and registered as Maria da Conceição Santos.^[8] She received a Catholic religious education from her parents as a child.^[9] Even as a little girl, she revealed divine gifts and manifested a vocation for religious life.^[10] She participated in celebrations of Holy Mass, coronations, processions and prayers of the rosary. In her homeland, Maria went to primary school and learned to play various musical instruments. As a catechist and guitar teacher, she evangelized children and adults.^[11]

Religious life

On February 11, 1935, a day dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, Maria joined the Congregation of the Auxiliary Sisters of Our Lady of Piety. On March 19, 1936, the day dedicated to St. Joseph, she made her first religious vows in this congregation of Minas Gerais. From this date on, she became Sister Benigna Victima de Jesus.^[12]

She began her apostolate by providing religious services in the places designated by the congregation.^[13] The Manoel Gonçalves de Souza Moreira Charity House, in Itaúna, was the first place where she worked. There, she took perpetual vows on January 6, 1941, and graduated from nursing. On January 1, 1943, she was appointed Mother Superior, thus assuming the direction of this house. In his new position, she founded a maternity hospital that assisted needy mothers.

Sister Benigna suffered slander,^[14] such as rumors of a possible pregnancy and the accusation of being a communist nun, and was therefore in 1948 transferred in a police car to Asilo São Luiz, in Serra da Piedade, in Caeté, where she learned of the demolition of the maternity in Itaúna.^[15]

In Serra da Piedade, Sister Benigna was placed in a sty, thus acquiring various diseases.^[16] She was visited there by her friend, doctor José Nogueira, who realized the extreme fragility of her health. Fearing the worst, he communicated this to the director of the house, telling him that the congregation would be held responsible if something happened to her.

In 1950, Sister Benigna was assigned to provide services as a midwife and nurse in an asylum hospital in the city of Lambari.

In 1955, Sister Benigna went to Our Lady of Lourdes College, in Lavras. To the students of the school, she taught piety, faith, and devotion to Our Lady. It was common to find distressed students asking Sister Benigna for prayers to do well in the exams. In honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sister Benigna built a cave that was destroyed, shortly after her transfer to the city of Sabará. In this city, in the year 1960, Sister Benigna worked at the Holy House of Mercy.

In 1963, Sister Benigna returned to provide her services at Asilo São Luiz, remaining there until 1966, when she was called to help rebuild the Lar Augusto Silva, in Lavras.

Sister Benigna lived in this house for the last sixteen years of her life.. She was always sought after by people from all walks of life. She had great friends in Belo Horizonte, Lavras, and other regions of Minas Gerais, who always had her in difficult moments. When food was missing from the asylum, she called these friends and it was soon taken care of.

On June 30, 1977, in recognition of the work done to the community of Lavras, the city council by unanimous vote conferred Sister Benigna the title of honorary citizen.

On August 16, 1980, Sister Benigna, with the help of her friends, inaugurated the Chapel of St. Joseph, allowing Eucharistic celebrations to be held for the elderly of the asylum in a nearby place. On August 16, 1981, in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, she inaugurated a beautiful grotto, in front of the Chapel of St. Joseph.

Illness and death

On the night of October 12 of the same year, Sister Benigna was admitted to the urgent care center of Prontocor Hospital, in Belo Horizonte, with severe chest pains. A pacemaker was placed in an attempt to save her life. Even though her health was very poor, she prayed with everyone who sought her.^[17]

On October 16, 1981, Sister Benigna died.^[18]