Tag: sainthood causes

Cause of Canonization of Michelle Duppong opened

We may have a new saint from the Church of the USA. On December 29, 2014, Michelle Christine Duppong was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer while serving as the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bismarck. She died at the age of 31.

Since Michelle was part of the FOCUS missionaries they have have established a page on their website profiling her. Give a look.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of how one is declared a saint in the Catholic Church, The National Catholic Register has an article on Michelle Duppong.

Here’s a recent communication from the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota.

On November 1, 2022, All Saints Day, Bishop David Kagan celebrated the Opening Mass for the Cause for Canonization of Michelle Duppong.

PUBLICATION OF THE POSTULATOR’S PETITION

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

In the name of the ‘Fellowship of Catholic University Students’ (FOCUS), Father Thomas J. Grafsgaard, appointed as postulator and approved by myself as postulator, requested me to initiate the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Michelle Duppong, former FOCUS Missionary and Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bismarck who died on December 25th, 2015, at Haymarsh in this diocese.

After having consulted with the Holy See, my brother bishops and the faithful of this diocese; and having verified the existence of a true and widespread reputation of sanctity, enjoyed by her during her life and growing ever stronger after her death, as well as ample evidence of the granting of graces and favors by God through her intercession, I, David D. Kagan, Bishop of Bismarck, do hereby make public the petition of Father Thomas J. Grafsgaard, the postulator of this cause, and thus declare I am initiating the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Michelle Christine Duppong.

In conformity with “The Norms to be Observed in Inquiries Made by Bishops in the Causes of Saints”, published by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on February 7, 1983, I also call upon any and all who may have useful information regarding the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Michelle Christine Duppong to bring such documents, materials or information to my attention.

Given at Bismarck, North Dakota, on this 1st day of November in the year of Our Lord 2022.

Bishop David D. Kagan
Bishop of Bismarck

Dorothy Day’s sainthood cause advances

The diocesan phase of the cause for canonization of the Servant of God Dorothy Day closes officially on December 8, 2021. The Archdiocese of New York will now send the gathered documentation to the Holy See’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Holy Mass will note this advancement will be offered by Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 7:30 p.m. on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

The diocesan work for the Cause was overseen by an army of people (circa 100) coordinated by the Dorothy Day Guild: George Horton and Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, vice postulators, members of the Ignatian Volunteers, Day’s granddaughter Martha Hennessy and supported by the current and previous two archbishops of New York. The collaboration had the goal of keeping the process local and simple so that it abided with the focus that Day had in life.

Just to give you a sense of the work in gathering Dorothy’s written work: it measures 32 square feet. No doubt that what Day communicated contributed to the conversion of countless people.

And so we pray for God’s grace in this proposal of Dorothy Day being recognized as a saint. In the spirit of Day, we are all called to be saints. As Day loved the saints, so we ought to be real saints.

Servant of God Dorothy Day, pray for us.

Revisiting Dorothy Day

In the August edition of The Current, Blake Billings an Oblate of Portsmouth Abbey and faculty member of the School, wrote a terrific piece on the Servant of God Dorothy Day in light of her own oblation to the Benedictine charism.

I have been waiting for someone to take the time to curate the information on the role of the Benedictine charism in the life and work of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. As persons with human and spiritual desires we need an organizing principle to root the heart, to situate our intellect, and to focus our energies for the better, for the good, for joy. That’s whatthe Benedictine way of life gives to those who adhere to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the magisterium, and the Rule of St Benedict. I was elated that Blake Billings did what I was looking for…perhaps the essay would be useful to you.


Take some time to read “Revisiting Dorothy Day“:

Father Kino’s heroic virtue recognized

On July 10, 2020, the Pope acknowledged the heroic virtue of the Servant of God Eusebio Francesco Chini (Kino), a priest of the Society of Jesus. Thus, the sainthood cause moves ahead.

Kino, as we know him, was born on 10 August 1645 in Segno, Italy and died in Magdalena, Mexico on 15 March 1711. He was a trained mathematician wanted to imitate the great Saint Francis Xavier. The Jesuit Provincial sent Father Kino to serve as a missionary in what was known as New Spain now Arizona, southern California and Mexico. Kino was called the Horseback priest because his travels covered more than 50,000 square miles on horseback. 

At the time of Father Kino’s work the Spaniards forced the native peoples, in particular the Sonoran Indians, to be slaves in the mines. Father Kino was known to oppose the slavery and compulsory hard labor. In today’s atmosphere Kino would be roundly rejected the religious left and secularists. However, Kino contributed to the welfare of others through Catholic Faith, missionary work, education, economy, farming, map making, and constructing.

As a priest he taught others about the truth of Jesus Christ, the need for the Church and her sacraments, and personally baptizing 4,500 people.

His agricultural work draws my attention because it taps into to the care of the person and society. Agriculture also links other things together: faith, reason, science, nutrition, and common sense. Some standards have changed since Kino’s work 400 years ago, but we can see the lines of care and concern for the health of people he interacted with as a missionary. Kino introduced seeds, fruits, herbs, grains, and animal husbandry (beef, sheep, and goats).

Kino now carries the title of Venerable Servant of God. We await a miracle attributed to his intercession. I am looking forward to his beatification someday soon. Father Kino had a generous spirit and a generative character; it is clear to me that his humanity was expansive because of his love of Christ. 

Communion and Liberation sainthood causes

The Fraternity of Communion and Liberation has four people who are in some process of beatification/canonization and study for thereof. There is, of course, the Servant of God Father Luigi Giussani, the Servant of God Andrea Aziani, the Servant of God Enzo Piccinini and the soon to be beatified Carlo Acutis.

 

The other day on the website for Communion and Liberation there was an update on beatification of Enzo Piccinini. The update is that the nulla osta for the cause of beatification has been received from the Congregation for Saints. Only twelve months ago was the cause opened. The news came on “twenty-first anniversary of the death of the Modenese surgeon, friend and collaborator of Fr. Giussani, celebrated on Tuesday, May 26.” The nulla osta from the Holy See means that the diocesan inquiry for the cause can officially begin.

The announcement can be read be here.

In addition, we in the Movement are also waiting on the diligent work on the sainthood caused for Father Luigi Giussani, Andrea Aziani and the beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Carlo Acutis. We await word of a date for the beatification ceremony for Acutis.

The Acutis Family doesn’t have a history of practicing the Catholic Faith and there is speculation that the Polish woman who cared for Carlo introduced him to the person of Jesus. Known as a techi, Carlo was involved with CL and the Rimini Meeting. Two brief intros into the life and person of Carlo Acutis are from OSV and Crux. Acutis is a saint whose mission is (and was) to draw our attention to the reality of the Holy Eucharist and our devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Andrea Aziani died 12 years ago while serving the Lord in Peru, where as a consecrated member of CL’s Memores Domini, he taught Philosophy at a school he helped to establish, Sedes Sapientiae University. His was a life to dedicated to Christ through the service of the poor. His cause proceeds.

Aziani’s postulator is Father Antonio Nurena.

Saints beget saints.

McGivney to be beatified by Church

This morning in Connecticut (Roman Noon) it was announced that the Holy Father approved the dossier stating that Father Michael J. McGivney will be beatified. Connecticut gets its first native Blessed of the Church. A miracle has been certified through the intercession of Father Michael J. McGivney. He was the founder of the Knights of Columbus.
 
– il miracolo, attribuito all’intercessione del Venerabile Servo di Dio Michele McGivney, Sacerdote diocesano, Fondatore dell’Ordine dei Cavalieri di Colombo, v.d. The Knights of Columbus; nato il 12 agosto 1852 a Waterbury (Stati Uniti d’America) e morto a Thomaston (Stati Uniti d’America) il 14 agosto 1890

Irving Houle’s cause for sainthood inches ahead

At the June 11-13, 2019 meeting, the US bishops unanimously voted to proceed with the sainthood cause for Irving Houle, a man who is reported to have lived with the Lord’s sacred stigmata. Houle had the stigmata for 16 years; he lived in Escanaba on the Upper Peninsula with his wife of 60 years, Gail; together they had five children. Irving died on January 3, 2009.

Irving Houle was an active fourth-degree Knight of Columbus.

Houle’s reception of the stigmata on Good Friday, April 8, 1993.

The Diocese of Marquette (MI) is pursuing the sainthood cause.

Crux published the story here. And a in-depth article on Irving Houle was written by Joseph Pronechen for the National Catholic Register found here. But you may also be interested in the biography, A Man Called Francis.

If canonized, Irving Houle would be the first US saint who bore the precious wounds of the Savior and would be in the company of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Pio Pietrelcina, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Catherine Ricci, St Veronica Giuliani, St. Mariam Baouardy, St. Catherine of Siena, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, among others. Interesting, 80% of the confirmed people with the stigmata are women. Rhoda Wise is the other American but she not being considered for sainthood.

Father Augustus Tolten named “Venerable Servant of God”

On June 11, 2019, Pope Francis received in an audience Cardinal Angelo Becciu, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and promulgated several decrees and among them:

–heroic virtue of the Servant of God Augustus Tolten, diocesan priest; born in Brush Creek, Missouri on 1 April 1854 and died in Chicago on 9 July 1897.

He will be known as the Venerable Servant of God Augustus Tolten.

Father Tolten studied theology in Rome and was ordained in the Basilica of St. John Lateran on 24 April 1886 and celebrated his First Mass at the Vatican Basilica the next day.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is handling the sainthood cause. See the website here.

Let us pray for this sainthood cause for the renewal of the priesthood, especially here in the USA.

The Field Afar: The life story of Vincent Capodanno

Not to be missed! The Field Afar: The life story of Vincent Capodanno, a Catholic Priest who received the Medal of Honor for his valor as a chaplain to the Marine Corps during some of the most harrowing battles of the Vietnam war and whose Cause for Canonization is currently open in Rome.

Showing as part of the New Haven International Film Festival on Thursday, May 16 – 8:35 PM at Gateway Community College, 20 Church Street, New Haven.

Tickets: https://filmfreeway.com/NewHavenFilmFestival/tickets