Sainthood

Catholics in the U.S. are sharing their gratitude for Venerable Fulton J. Sheen following the announcement Feb. 9 that the Vatican has permitted beatification, the final step before canonization.

Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonizations of three blesseds: an Armenian Catholic archbishop martyred during the Armenian genocide, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea killed during World War II and a Venezuelan religious sister who dedicated her life to education and the poor.

Al enterarse de que el Papa Francisco había aprobado un segundo milagro atribuido al beato Carlo Acutis, muchos católicos de todo el mundo se pusieron felices, pero nadie más que su madre, Antonia Salzano.

Pope Francis has advanced the sainthood cause of U.S. Sister Rose Hawthorne, the daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and he recognized the martyrdom of a German priest and nun.

Julia Greeley’s is one of six U.S. Black Catholics being considered for sainthood. She’s been named a “Servant of God,” the title granted to those under consideration for canonization.

Frances Cabrini’s mission work in America became a bright page in the sometimes tumultuous story of Italian-American Catholicism, and she was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.

A Wisconsin Catholic hopes his discovery of long-lost keepsakes of Joseph Dutton can help further the sainthood cause of the layman who ministered to people with leprosy on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

As people of faith, we know that our hope is found not in political parties or their candidates but in Jesus Christ and his church. So, instead of dreading the first Tuesday in November and the inevitably contentious lead-up, here are five events Catholics can anticipate with joy this calendar year.