The Making of a Local Saint

Mary Rose Bacani Valenti

April 22, 2009
sisterOn Saturday, March 21st, at St. Paschal Baylon Parish in Toronto, a momentous occasion was taking place for the Archdiocese of Toronto. Over two thousand people were in attendance for the official opening of the Diocesan Inquiry concerning the cause of beatification of Sr. Carmelina Tarantino, a Passionist Sister, making her a Servant of God. If Sr. Carmelina goes all the way to being canonized, she would be the first saint whose cause originated in Toronto.
But she will have to travel the regular route all saints do: to go from Servant of God to Venerable to Blessed and then finally to Saint.
What does this all mean? What does it take for a holy person to get to be a canonized saint?
I explore all this in Catholic Focus: The Making of a Local Saint. In the first part of the episode Deacon Joseph DiGrado, Vice-Postulator for the Cause of Sr. Carmelina; Sr. Christine Minicucci, CP, Member of the Passionist Congregation; and the Most Rev. Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, speak about the beginnings of Sr. Carmelina's cause. For the second part of the show, Fr. Jacques Monet, SJ, a historian for the Cause of Georges and Pauline Vanier; and Fr. Bob Wild, Postulator for the Cause of Catherine Doherty, discuss canonization -- how it all began and how the process evolved to what we have in the Church today. Finally, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, shares his insights on two of his favourite holy people – Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Pope John Paul II.
It’s not the Pope that makes saints… God makes saints. The process of declaring someone a blessed and then a saint, this is a recognition for our sake…. It is a way for each one of us to be inspired and led with certainty to make the invocation of these servants of the Lord.
- Most Rev. Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto
Tune in Wednesday, April 22nd and Sunday, April 26th at 7 and 11 pm ET (with a repeat the following morning at 7:30 am ET) for Catholic Focus: The Making of a Local Saint.