Meet the newest saints!
Laura DeMaria
Our Sunday Visitor has a great post up, Meet the Church’s newest saints. It says:
“On May 15, for the first time since October 2019, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Peter’s Square will host a canonization. This gap of two-and-a-half years (canonizations at the Vatican under Pope Francis typically happened at least once a year) was punctuated only by the pontiff in 2021 when he named Italian Third Order Dominican Margaret of Castello, patroness of persons with disabilities, a saint by way of the process known as equivalent canonization.
And so, the upcoming canonizations to be declared by Pope Francis is a rather historic occasion — and a joyful one, both in the wake of the difficulties of the pandemic and, now, in the midst of war in Ukraine. Ten saints will be declared, which will bring the total of 909 saints canonized in the pontificate of Pope Francis. The group of new saints is comprised mostly of priests and women religious, including just one member of the secular lay faithful.”
First, how joyful! These saints could become very important to you, or to your children, or you may attend a church in the future named after them. It is like meeting new family members, and here they are!
Second, as the article points out, there is only one lay person in the group. I often look for lay people in the saints, because it is important to know that not just nuns, priests, and other religious figures become saints. So, I wonder, are they like me?
In this case, the lay person being canonized is also the first Indian lay person to be canonized. St. Devasahayam Pillai held an important role in state affairs, was a convert from Hinduism, and brought his family into the faith by virtue of his witness. And, unfortunately, none of this went down well with his contemporaries. Or perhaps fortunately, because by his martyrdom he became a saint.
The article includes the detail that the name he took upon his conversion, Devasahayam, means Lazarus. Very nice.
So, Saint Devasahayam Pillai, and all those who will join the great cloud of witnesses of the saints on May 15, pray for us! And, praise God that things like canonizations can once again resume.