According to the Star Bulletin, Toguchi told no one besides her family about her cure. Instead, she wrote to Pope John Paul II about the cancer’s disappearance, thus beginning the investigation into the miracle. Father Damien was credited with his first miracle after the spontaneous recovery of a terminally ill French nun in 1895 was attributed to his intercession. He was beatified in 1995, but one more confirmed miracle was required for his canonization to be considered.
The cure was documented in the Hawaii Medical Journal in October 2000. Toguchi’s life, faith, and medical history were also examined by church authorities. She was interviewed by a local panel and by Monsignor Robert Sarno from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Monsignor Sarno notified Toguchi of the congregation’s decision by e-mail.
Toguchi’s identity had been shielded by her doctor and church officials, but Bishop of Honolulu Larry Silva revealed her name in a statement on Tuesday.
In the statement, Bishop Silva said “I give thanks and praise to God for the news I received this morning!” He said Father Damien’s cause for canonization would now go before the cardinals and bishops who lead the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If the miracle is approved, Father Damien’s canonization would then need to be approved by Pope Benedict XVI.
Bishop Silva urged Catholics to keep the process in their prayers, so that “it will result in the canonization of our beloved Father Damien.”