The Canonization of Father Damien

Do you remember when I went to Moloka'i last year?

( Click here for the story http://al-o-ha.blogspot.com/2008/05/molokai.html)

Well, finally, 120 years after his death, Father Damien will be canonized this weekend!

EWTN will broadcast the LIVE event from Rome early Sunday morning. (Check your local listings) They will also broadcast a 1 hour documentary about his life. Set your DVR's to record!!!

Today I gave a speech about Father Damien and my travels to Moloka'i at MCCW (Military Council of Catholic Women.) One of the topics I covered was the steps to Canonization. It's a very long and drawn out process which ends with proof that the holy person is indeed in Heaven, interceding on behalf of those who ask for help from God.

I thought I'd share:

Steps to canonization:

Five years after the death of someone who lived a virtuous life, the dioceses may request the Bishop of the area name a pious person as a “Servant of God.” This opens up the process so that an investigation in to the virtues of the individual may be examined.

Venerable: once enough data is gathered through the investigation process, the Bishop will make a recommendation to the Pope asking him to declare the “Servant of God’s heroic virtue.” At this point, no churches may be built in honor of the person nor do they have a feast day. Also, the church will give no opinion on if they believe the person to be in heaven. However, prayer cards and other materials MAY be printed to encourage prayer that might lead to a miracle.

There are 2 ways to Beatification:

1. To be a martyr: this is declared by the Pope
2. To be a “confessor”: This person bore witness while alive to their faith by how they lived their lives. A miracle must be proven at this point. There must be a posthumous miracle associated in some way to the Servant of God.” (Mostly miraculous cures: The patient was sick, there was no known cure for the ailment, prayers were directed to the Venerable, the patient was cured, the cure was spontaneous, instantaneous, complete and lasting, and doctors cannot find any natural explanation.) Once the person is Beatified, he/she will known as “Blessed” They will be assigned a feast day.

Another miracle is needed in order for the person to be declared a “saint” by the Pope.

Some of the different people who are involved in declaring a miracle. are:

1. Devil’s Advocate: Promoter of the Faith: argues AGAINST canonization
2. Congregation for the Cause of the Saints: the people who make sure all the steps are followed. (Here is a link to the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregation_for_the_Causes_of_Saints NOTE: Wikipedia is only as good as those who post the information

For Father Damien’s beatification,

Pope John Paul II approved on June 13, 1992, the 1895 cure of a Sacred Hearts Sister as a miracle attributed to priest’s intercession. In that case, Sister Simplicia Hue of France began a novena to Father Damien as she lay dying at age 37 of a lingering intestinal illness. The pain and symptoms of the illness disappeared overnight on Sept. 11, 1895, and Sister Simplicia lived for another 32 years.

Pope John Paul II beatified Father Damien on June 4, 1995, in Brussels, Belgium.

Audrey Toguchi, a 79-year-old retired schoolteacher who lives in Aiea, became ill in 1997 with a lump on her left thigh that was discovered to be cancerous. She asked her sisters to accompany her to Kalaupapa to pray at Father Damien’s grave. After surgery in January 1998, doctor’s told her the cancer was too advanced and there was nothing more she could do.

She went back to Kalaupapa and, with a novena, asked Father Damien to cure her

After 4 months of scans, the cancer was gone. The Doctor had no explanation because there was no care being given.

She wrote to Pope John Paul II about this miracle.

October 2000, the doctor published an article about the miracle in the Hawaii Medical Journal.

She was interviewed by a local panel and by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
June 2, 2008, the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints voted yes in their recommendation to Father Damien to become a saint

July 3, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree formally accepting the miracle. The canonization will take place in Rome. It will be shown on EWTN (live) early Sunday morning and again at 10am.(EST)