What is Beatification?
When the Holy Father beatifies a Servant of God and bestows
the title Blessesd upon him/her, he declares that the Servant of God
has practiced the Christian virtues to a
heroic decree and proposes the example of that person as a model for Christian life
and virtue. A Servant of God is declared
Blessed only after an exhaustive study of his/her life, work and practice of
virtue. Included in this study is the
official approbation on the part of the
Beatification should not be confused with canonization. Beatification is must be viewed as a step in the process of canonization. Canonization takes place later and only after further study of the Blessed’s life and virtue and the approbation of an additional miracle attributed to his/her intercession. At the time of canonization, the Holy Father, in virtue of his infallibility, declares that the Blessed is among the Saints in heaven and inscribes the person’s name on the official list (canon) of the Saints of the Church. It is at this time that public devotion to the newly declared Saint is extended to the universal Church.
Additional Causes Presented to
the
The Congregation of Holy Cross has presented four additional members to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints for consideration for canonization and beatification.
Canonization:
Blessed Brother André Bessette, c.s.c.,
apostle of
Declaration of Heroicity of Virtue (stage prior to beatification):
Father Patric Peyton, c.s.c., apostle of the Rosary and founder of the Family Rosary Crusade and the Family Theatre
Most Rev. Theotonius Ganguly, c.s.c., Archbishop of Dhaka, Bangladesh and first native son of his country to be ordained bishop.
In preparation for the diocesan inquiry into the practice of virtue:
Most Rev. Vincent McCauley, c.s.c,,
first bishop of the dioces of