Canonization cause

The Latest

The Vatican on March 16, 2024, determined that nothing prevents the opening of the cause for canonization of Niña Ruiz-Abad, a 13-year-old girl who died in 1993 in the Philippines and whose grave has become a place of pilgrimage.

Vatican authorizes opening of cause for canonization for 13-year-old Filipina girl

Mar 18, 2024

By Walter Sánchez Silva

The grave of Niña Ruiz-Abad, a 13-year-old girl who died in 1993 in the Philippines, has become a place of... Read more

A woman was seen paying tribute to victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks at a cemetery in Negombo, Sri Lanka.

Church in Sri Lanka to begin canonization process for hundreds killed in 2019 Easter attack

Feb 5, 2024

By Peter Pinedo

The Archdiocese of Colombo has plans to submit a petition to the Vatican to declare those killed in the Easter... Read more

Cardinal Thomas Aquinas Manyo Maeda of Osaka, Japan.

Catholic Church reportedly closer to getting its first samurai saint

Dec 23, 2023

By Peter Pinedo

The Vatican is currently investigating miracles associated with the intercession of Blessed Justus Ukon Takayama. Read more

Queen Isabella I of Castile, Spain.

More than 130 Masses celebrated in 5 countries to promote Queen Isabella’s canonization

Nov 29, 2023

By Nicolás de Cárdenas

This year, 133 Masses were celebrated with this intention, most of them in Spain but also in Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela,... Read more

Detail of a mural showing Blessed Stanley Rother being welcomed into heaven at the new Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City.

What is the process for canonization? A guide for All Saints’ Day 

Nov 1, 2023

By Daniel Payne

On the day the Church celebrates the Church triumphant in heaven, we take a closer look at the formal process... Read more

Photos of martyred Christians at a public event in Bhubaneswar in 2010.

Vatican puts 35 Catholic ‘martyrs of Kandhamal’ in India on road to sainthood

Oct 26, 2023

By Anto Akkara

The Christians were killed in the 2008 Christian persecution that took place in the remote jungle district of the eastern... Read more

Sister María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, whose religious name was María Antonia of St. Joseph.

Pope Francis recognizes miracle that paves way for first female Argentinian saint

Oct 25, 2023

By Daniel Payne

Blessed María Antonia of Saint Joseph, known as “Mama Antula,” was the founder of the House for Spiritual Exercises in... Read more

Mother Teresa around the year 1994.

New film about Mother Teresa ignites controversy over saint’s ‘spiritual struggle’

Oct 4, 2023

By Daniel Payne

Father Brian Kolodiejchuk said the film’s writer and director committed "grave errors" in claiming that Mother Teresa had “lost her... Read more

Venerable Fulton Sheen. (public domain)

An update on the status of Fulton Sheen’s beatification cause

Aug 31, 2023

By Tina Dennelly

Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, recently spoke about the status of the beatification of... Read more

Lucia dos Santos via Public Domain.

 5 Things to know about Venerable Lucia dos Santos

Jun 22, 2023

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

The cause for sainthood of Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the Fatima visionaries, was advanced by Pope Francis on... Read more

Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtue of Brazil’s “Surfer Angel” Guido Schäffer in a decree issued by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on May 20, 2023.

A surfing saint? Pope Francis recognizes the heroic virtue of Guido Schäffer

May 22, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Brazil’s “Surfer Angel” was a seminarian, a doctor, and a surfer who drowned while surfing in 2009 off the coast... Read more

Father Carlo Crespi Croci (1891-1982) holding a crucifix from his ethnographic collection in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Pope Francis puts a priest, three religious women, and two laywomen on path for sainthood

Mar 23, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

Each “Venerable” now needs a miracle attributed to his or her intercession to be approved by the Vatican in order... Read more

Carmen Hernández, co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way

Process of beatification begins for Carmen Hernández, co-founder of Neocatechumenal Way

Dec 2, 2022

By CNA Staff

The beatification and canonization process for Carmen Hernández, co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way, officially opens this Sunday. Read more

Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Father Willie Doyle’s cause: fearless in his faith on Flanders Fields

Nov 22, 2022

By Patrick J. Passmore

Father Willie Doyle was an inspiring yet unassuming Irish World War I chaplain. Now his cause for canonization has been... Read more

Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Will war chaplain Willie Doyle be Ireland’s next saint?

Oct 31, 2022

By Kevin J. Jones

Doyle was an Irish military chaplain for the British Army who served heroically on the battlefields of World War I... Read more

Irving Houle. Photo courtesy of the Irving Houle Association.

Was this Michigan grandfather on a mission from God?

Jul 5, 2019

Irving “Francis” Houle was a Michigan father of five known for his holy life. He appeared to bear the stigmata,... Read more

Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

Fulton Sheen remains will move to Peoria, NY archdiocese says

Jun 8, 2019

The Archdiocese of New York will work to help transfer the remains of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, a spokesman for the... Read more

Tennessee diocese seeks to exhume remains of pastor on path to sainthood

Nov 28, 2018

The Diocese of Knoxville is seeking to unearth the remains of a Tennessee pastor whose canonization cause is currently open.... Read more

Fr. Tolton.

Runaway slave-turned-priest moves closer to beatification

May 12, 2018

The first African American priest in the U.S. could become the country’s first African American saint as his cause took... Read more

Black Elk (L) and Elk of the Oglala Lakota (R) 1887. Public Domain.

This Native American is officially on the path to sainthood

Oct 31, 2017

Lakota medicine man turned Catholic catechist Nicholas Black Elk has begun the path to potential canonization with a Mass in... Read more