Pope Francis approves canonization of two Blesseds

By Vatican News staff reporters

Pope Francis will convene a consistory to canonize Bishop Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, raising to the altars a bishop already recognized throughout the world as a patron of migrants. Scalabrini, who served as Bishop of Piacenza, Italy, in the 19th century, is the founder of the Congregations of the Missionaries of St Charles, which have as a special charism the mission of serving migrants.

Scalabrini’s canonization was announced on Saturday at an audience granted to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Pope Francis also approved the canonization Artemide Zatti, an Italian layman who emigrated with his family to Argentina in the late 1800s, and who became a Salesian co-worker and missionary in Patagonia.

Blessed Artemide Zatti

The decree on causes for canonization signed by the Pope at the audience also recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of a Spanish laywoman, Maria de la Concepción Barrecheguren y García, and of the heroic virtues of seven servants of God, who thus became Venerable.

A miraculous healing

Maria de la Concepción Barrecheguren y García (1905-1927), was a Spanish laywoman who died of tuberculosis at the age of 22. Due to her health, she was unable to take up the religious habit as she had wished. The miraculous healing of a two-year-old Spanish girl in 2014 has been attributed to her intercession.

The new Venerables

Five men and two women will now be recognized as venerable, following the official proclamation of their heroic virtues.

These include a Polish laywoman, Janina Woynarowska (1923-1979), a nurse who is known for her dedication in caring for various types of infirmity, despite herself suffering from a serious physical impairment. Sustained by a firm faith, she became a Professed Member of the Secular Institute of Christ the Redeemer, making her profession to the then-Archbishop of Krakow, Karol Wojtyła (St John Paul II).

The other new Venerables are:

Teofilo Bastida Camomot (1914-1988), sometime coadjutor Archbishop Cagayan de Oro, the Philippines, and founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Teresa;

Luigi Sodo (1811-1895), Bishop of Telese-Cerreto Sannita, Italy;

José Torres Padilla (1811-1878), diocesan priest, co-founder of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross;

Jôao Pedro di Sesto San Giovanni, born Clemente Recalcati, (1868-1913), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin, founder of the Missionary Capuchin Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi in Brasilia;

Alfredo Morganti, known as Berta, (1886-1969), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor;

Mariana of the Holy Trinity, born Mariana Allsopp González-Manrique, (1854-1933), co-founder of the Trinitarian Sisters of Madrid.