Beatification

The pope signed decrees Feb. 23 recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of an Italian religious sister and the heroic virtues of five others: two laywomen, two priests and a religious woman.

Bishop Vera’s path to sainthood not only reflects the country’s history, but also the new path for the church in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay under the stewardship of Pope Francis, an Argentine.

Even before consideration of these three, the bishops’ Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance estimated there are more than 85 sainthood causes at various stages of the beatification or canonization process in at least 55 U.S. dioceses.

Beatifying Blessed John Paul I, Pope Francis praised the late pope, who served for only 33 days in 1978, for showing the world God’s goodness and for living the Gospel without compromise.

Bismarck Bishop David D. Kagan announced the opening of a diocesan investigation into Michelle Christine Duppong’s “holiness of life and love for God” for her possible canonization.

Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonization of Blessed Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, founder of the Scalabrinian missionaries, dispensing the requirement of a miracle attributed to his intercession, the Vatican announced.

In view of the canonization ceremony, the Congregation for Saints’ Causes has published a brief biography of each of the 10 new saints and information about the miracle attributed to their intercession needed for their canonizations.

Good Shepherd Sister María Agustina Rivas Lopez, who was murdered by terrorists during Peru’s political violence, was beatified May 7 during a liturgy in the same plaza where she was shot to death in 1990.