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Presently, there
is a renewed effort for the Cause of the Canonization of Blessed
John of Vercelli. Listed here are a few things you can do to
promote the cause:
PRAY - To the
Holy Spirit, to give His inspiration and guidance to those responsible
for Blessed John's canonization. To Jesus, to honor His Holy
Name through the canonization of Blessed John. To Our Blessed
Lady, to intercede for Blessed John.
DEVOTIONAL -
Promote a monthly prayer service for Blessed John's canonization.
Show and revere Blessed John's statue at Holy Name functions.
It can be purchased from the National Supply Store.
LEARN - To love
someone, you want to know everything you can about him or her.
There are books and pamphlets about Blessed John available from
the National Holy Name Supply Store: "In His Name"
and "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "A Saint for Our Times"
and other short pieces.
SHARE THE SPIRIT
- Pass on copies of "A Saint for Our Times" as well
as Blessed John of Vercelli Holy Cards to family, friends and
those you gather with at meetings, services, etc.
EVANGELIZE -
Spread the word about Blessed John and the Holy Name Society;
you can't separate the founder from his cause. Speak with the
other parish organizations. If you are a priest or deacon authorized
to preach, speak about Blessed John during your homily at Mass.
If you need a speaker, you can always contact the NAHNS Chairman
for the Cause of Canonization of Blessed John.
BE COUNTED -
Sign the pledge card, telling Rome of your continued support
for the Canonization of Blessed John.
REPORT FAVORS
(See "One Miracle", below) - If you have knowledge
of someone who has been granted a favor as a result of praying
to Blessed John, report that favor, no matter how small, to the
Vice Postulator.
CONTRIBUTE -
Help with the support of the Cause with a financial contribution.
Above all, pray for the Holy Name Society and Blessed John of
Vercelli, daily. Yours in His Holy Name, The Blessed John of
Vercelli Committee National Association of the Holy Name Society.
One Miracle
News from Rome has reached us, alerting us to the fact that our
canonization effort, on behalf of Blessed John of Vercelli must
follow a somewhat different course. More specifically, in 1992,
Canon Lawyer Patricia Dugan, Esq., met with the Postulator of
Dominican Causes, Fr. Innocente Venci, and was advised that our
prior efforts, which consisted primarily of holding prayer services,
and collecting prayer pledge cards, while praiseworthy, are insufficient
in themselves to bring about Blessed John's canonization. While
continuing our prior efforts, we must shift our emphasis to securing
proof of a miracle. A new book, on the life of Blessed John would
be invaluable, to spread his cultus, or devotion. This would
make Blessed John better known, and would encourage people to
pray to him. We cannot expect God to grant a miracle without
prayer! Presently, there is a scholar working on a book about
Blessed John; when it is published, you will be notified. Pledge
cards do serve a secondary role, in that they give evidence to
Rome that there is an existing cultus, or devotion to Blessed
John. Therefore, if a significant favor is reported, Rome will
be more inclined to devote the time and resources to its proper
investigation. A miracle is what we really need! Today, even
Beatification requires a miracle. In the old days, the process
was not so strict. Saints were recognized by the Church, simply
because the people thought them so, or watched their miracles.
Blessed John himself was beatified without a miracle. When his
cult was confirmed on September 7, 1903, the Church was saying
it accepted the judgment of the people, and he is a true Blessed,
so his cult confirmation was equivalent to beatification. But
after beatification, at least one confirmed miracle is necessary
for canonization. We have no confirmed miracle for Blessed John,
and without such a miracle, he will never be canonized. So, what
should we do? First: All we need is one confirmed miracle, which
must have occurred after 1903, the date of the beatification.
A miracle is an unexplained cure or event that occurs outside
of natural means.
Second: How to
get a miracle confirmed:
1.ONLY JOHN OF VERCELLI MUST BE RESPONSIBLE! So, if people pray
to a number of saints, it cannot be proven that Blessed John
of Vercelli was responsible. So, encourage our members to pray
to him only; the use of medals or cards which have been touched
to his relic are an aid in asking for Blessed John's intercession.
2.Get the medical
records or other documentation pertaining to the illness, to
prove that there was no medical explanation for the cure.
3.Also, the testimony
of those involved that there is no medical or natural way known
which could explain the cure.
4.Have this medical
testimony verified by 2 or 3 experts, attesting to the same conclusion.
5.With this information,
write up a case for the miracle, called a positio - a position
paper, like a legal brief - explaining and giving reasons why
it is a miracle and should be confirmed. Submit this information
to the Committee for Canonization of Blessed John.
6.Ideally, if
you can, recruit a bishop to submit the positio to the Congregation
for the Causes of Saints.
The experts of
the Congregation will examine the evidence and vote. If they
vote favorably, the proposed miracle is submitted to the main
body of the Congregation (a committee of Cardinals). If they
vote Yes, their decision is passed on to the Pope, who sets the
date for the canonization, assuming he approves. This is the
only way. No shortcuts. No pressure. It does not depend upon
having "contacts" in the Vatican, or whether a particular
influential Church official is for or against the cause, or upon
any other extraneous reason. We only need one miracle to proceed
with Blessed John's canonization. So, encourage your members
to use those medals and relic cards for all their requests for
cures and other miracles. Have these favors submitted to your
group, or to the Postulator to be investigated, documents secured,
testimonies acquired, briefs written up and submitted by a bishop,
possibly of the diocese where the favor took place. When a new
book is published, it will spread devotion, which is good, because
the more we pray, the better the chance of a miracle. But we
need a miracle. Without it, we can do nothing.
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