Stories of candidates for sainthood inspire
even least holy of us
We all know that some of the Catholic saints -- and several
of those being considered as candidates for sainthood -- would
be considered strange by many these days. In the first place, we know that they had an uncanny ability
to focus on spiritual things to the exclusion of all mundane tasks. I mean, when we are praying or meditating, thoughts will slip
into that state of mind we are in and move us off the holy path
for a moment or two. This probably disqualifies us as candidates for sainthood.
I will admit that I am no longer being considered, and I will
even own up to all my inadequacies. This is just a reminder that
many of you will also be thrown off the path toward canonization. But there are many candidates who have a legitimate chance
to go all the way to that army of saints that has inspired young
and old Catholics for centuries. The latest is Padre Pio, who
will be beatified in May 1999 by Pope John Paul II in Rome. Beatification
is the second step in the process toward sainthood. The next step
would be canonization, full status as a saint of the church. Padre Pio was born Francesco Forgione in Italy in 1886. But
in his early 30s, after becoming a priest, Pio was kneeling in
front of a large crucifix when his hands and feet began to show
the signs of the crucifixion. That is, Pios body showed wounds on the hands and feet
and in his side, all places where Jesus was pierced on the cross.
Those wounds never healed, and Padre Pio carried the five piercings
of Christ for 50 years. That condition is called the stigmata, but over the years he
became known for other miracles. The secretions from the wounds,
for instance, carried the odor of flowers or perfume. He was gifted
also with the ability to be in two places at once -- known as
bilocation. World War II Allied pilots claimed they could see Padre Pio
in the clouds directing air traffic over his small monastery in
Italy. The story goes that Padre Pio could read the hearts and minds
of penitents before they had a chance to speak. Thousands came
to him for confession and healing, and 100,000 people attended
his funeral in 1968. Ive always found Padre Pio fascinating. A friend told
me about Padre Pio a long time ago, and consequently I read a
book about the priest. But my friend had actually visited Pio in Italy. In the 1940s
or 1950s, my friends father dragged him to a small Italian
village on a spiritual pilgrimage. They stood outside a tiny monastery
until Padre Pio made an appearance, showed his wounded hands and
feet and then went back inside the monastery. A weird but mind-enhancing
experience for a young fellow. We have a deceased religious brother in the North Lands who
just might become a saint someday. In 1995, Brother Solanus Casey
was declared venerable, the first step in the long process of
canonization. As part of the veneration scenario, Caseys
body was exhumed from its resting place in the chapel floor of
a monastery in Detroit. Caseys body was then examined for blemishes. When none
were found, the priests in attendance washed his body, dressed
it in a new robe, covered it with plastic and placed it in a shallow
grave in a side chapel of the monastery. Pope John Paul II visited the burial place and subsequently
named him venerable. Of course it could be hundreds of years before
Casey is declared a saint. But he is the first man in the United
States to be named venerable. Casey was moved to become a priest when he was 21 years old,
but in just a few short weeks, it was discovered he did not have
the mental capacity for the arduous studies. He was named as a
gatekeeper at St. Bonaventures Monastery in Detroit and
assigned to enroll people in the Seraphic Mass Society. Soon people were returning to their parishes telling of miraculous
healings, and Casey became busy 12 hours a day with his consultations. Long after the other priests and brothers retired from their
prayers in the evening, Casey would continue praying for the people
who had petitioned him that day. Some days the priests would find
him asleep early in the morning on the hard floor of the chapel
where he is now buried. These stories are not meant to inspire you to seek sainthood
-- we all know where we stand with the church. But the stories
of people who were holier than you or I will ever be are always
interesting. Peace be with you.
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For February 6, 1999