Saints News for August

Have $$, will work for beatification cause

Yet another example demonstrating how expensive it is to process someone’s beatification cause.

 

This one concerns the cause of Ven. Mother Giovanna Bracaval, a woman religious who in the late 19th, early 20th centuries singlehandedly revived her order, the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul. Sadly it has had to be put on hold for lack of funds.

 

This is a shame because we have someone who is a great example of Christian holiness and perseverance in Christ. Yet her cause may never see its successful conclusion. So I’d like to encourage all your listeners out there to donate even just $3-5, but $25 or $100 if they can to this worthy effort. If they feel the Holy Spirit calling them to help, they can send their very important donations to either of these addresses:

 
Angelic Sisters of St. Paul - USA
Mother of Divine Providence Convent
4196 William Penn Highway
Easton, PA 18045-5067 | USA
 
Angeliche di S. Paolo
Attn: Causa di Madre Giovanna Bracaval
Via Casilina, 1606,
00133 Roma

ITALY 

The pitfalls of proving piety

While lack of money can be a huge impediment to moving a cause forward, so can people.

Case in point: The beatification cause of a Pilipino bishop, the Servant of God Alfredo Verzosa, ordinary of the Lipa diocese. He was auxiliary bishop during the approved apparitions at Lipa, the Philippines, in 1948, a man with a profound Marian spirituality, and not coincidentally a very holy man. His beatification cause needs to interview 30 people who can testify to this holiness, but so far it has been able to find only 14. 

 

Why the number? Well, it’s not the number so much. According to Sr. Julie Micosa, MCHS, “Our Postulator in Rome told us to gather at least some 30 witnesses for the cause which would be coming from testimonies of people witnessing for his sanctity, graces and miracles received from his intercession.  

 

“This is the reason why we are asking people who still knew him to come forward and for people to pray to God for graces through the intercession of Bp. Verzosa.  To date, we have finished a documentary about his life and the explanation of the process for the cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Bishop Alfredo Verzosa.  This would be of help to make him known.”

She also says there were many more who knew him, obviously, but “they have already died.” She has a point: It’s sorta hard to interview a dead person. 

The cause is asking for your assistance. If anyone has information that may help the cause, please e-mail srjuliemcsh@yahoo.com.

 

Knights of Columbus founder’s cause moves forward

The cause of Ven. Fr. Michael McGivney, the Connecticut priest who founded the Knights of Columbus, has presented a possible miracle to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for its review. The Congregatio will now have its team of medical experts investigate to determine whether any natural explanation exists for the alleged miracle in question.  

If the investigation commission approves, “then it goes to a theological commission, which will decide whether to send a recommendation to the Holy Father for approval.” If Pope Francis gives the findings his blessings, Ven. Fr. McGivney will receive beatification and become Bl. Fr. McGivney.  

Saint G.K.?  

The famous twentieth century author G.K. Chesterton, may be a saint one day, in no small part thanks to Pope Francis.  

When His Holiness served as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he approved a prayer for Chesterton’s beatification written by a local Chesterton society. Indeed, the Holy Father is a big Chesterton fan.  

Well, now he has given the go ahead to the effort of the bishop of Northampton, England, the diocese in which the writer lived. The bishop has ordered an investigation of G.K.’s life and is looking to hire a priest to lead the beatification cause. 

For those unfamiliar with Chesterton and thus don’t get why this is such a big deal, a little background. The famous pundit lived between 1874 and 1936. He was a Catholic convert, and his writings had a singularly profound impact on his time.   

Indeed, Ghandi developed his mode of non-violent resistance because of a Chesterton editorial from the early 1900s. In turn, Ghandi influenced people such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and we know what that man accomplished in our nation. So in a way, this editorial was the grandfather of the “I have a dream” speech.   

Also, many people know of the Fr. Brown mysteries, which Chesterton wrote. These books were turned into a series of movies in the mid-twentieth century, starring Alec Guinness in the title role. Guinness later went on to play Obi Wan Kenobi in the original “Star Wars” film, and he converted to Catholicism in part because of playing the Fr. Brown role.