Bishop Baraga

About Bishop Baraga's Cause for Canonization

The Bishop Baraga Association is the official organization of Bishop Baraga's Cause for Canonization.

What does it take to become a saint?

1. Servant of God

Canonization is a complex process that includes four steps: Servant of God, Venerable, Beatification, and Canonization. There is a five-year wait after the candidate’s death, unless waived by the Pope. The bishop of the diocese where the person died starts the investigation. At this stage, the person is called "Servant of God."

2. Venerable

Then, the candidate’s life and virtues are investigated in detail. A “positio”, or position paper, is created with the complete details of the servant's heroic life. The positio is reviewed by a group of theologians who vote on whether or not the candidate lived a heroic life (or was martyred for the faith). If their decision is favorable, a decree of “Venerable” is made, and the candidate moves on to the second step toward Canonization. “Venerable” means the individual must be publicly accessible for private prayer.

3. Blessed

The third step of Beatification requires a potential cure to be attributed to a person’s intercession and verified after the candidate’s death. The cure must be immediate, lasting, and absent of medical intervention. Once a case meets those requirements, as evaluated by the Medical Commission, it goes to the Theological Commission, which confirms that the intercession was through the person under consideration for sainthood. A declaration of Beatification means there can be limited public veneration.

4. Canonization

The final step is Canonization. A second potential cure attributed to the blessed must occur after beatification. The cure follows the same arduous process of investigation and must meet the same criteria as the first cure. Once the second case is approved by the Medical and Theological Commissions, Bishop Baraga would be canonized.

Steps to Frederic Baraga's Cause for Canonization

1. Five year waiting period following the person’s death
2. The local bishop initiates the Cause for Sainthood
3. A Positio is submitted to the Holy See for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization. Upon acceptance, the formal cause for sainthood begins and the person is given the title "Servant of God"
4. Decree of Heroic Virtues Examination of the positio is done by a theological commission; if accepted, the person is given the title "Venerable"
5. Beatification Investigation of a miracle attributed to the person is conducted on the diocesan level and submitted to Rome. The miracle is examined by the medical and theological commissions. If accepted, the person is given the title of "blessed"
6. Canonization A second miracle attributed to the blessed is needed. After an examination of the miracle takes place, if accepted, the person is declared a saint

Progress on the Cause

80%

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Your donation directly supports Bishop Baraga's Cause for Canonization. This donation is only used for Rome Expenses as we work towards his Beatification and Canonization.

The Timline for Beatification of the Servant of God
Frederic i. Baraga First Bishop of Marquette

1868

Father Jacker delivers the eulogy on the life and holiness of Baraga.

1930

Founding of the Bishop Baraga Association to promote the cause for the beatification and canonization of Bishop Frederic Baraga. Joseph Gregorich begins locating, microfilming, translating, and cataloging of historical documentation of Bishop Baraga’s life/activities and personal correspondence from 1831-1967. Documents were obtained from 5 countries and were translated from 3 languages. This process took the next 40 years.

Pictured, Bishop Baraga Association Founder, Joseph Gregorich.

1952

Bishop Thomas Noa establishes a Diocesan Historical Commission to collect the documents concerning the life, ministry and writings of Bishop Baraga.

1970

Joseph Gregorich completes the work of compiling documentation on the life and labor of Bishop Baraga.

1972

The Ordinary Process of the diocesan phase is conducted in the Diocese of Marquette under the direction of Bishop Charles Salatka, and the acts are transmitted to the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. At the November U.S. Bishops’ meeting, 194 bishops signed a petition to Pope Paul VI, asking that the cause for the beatification and canonization of Bishop Baraga, apostle to the Indians in the upper Great Lakes region and first Bishop of Marquette, be expedited.

1998

The Positio on the life, the reputation for sanctity and the virtues of Bishop Baraga is completed and accepted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Ten years later in December, the Positio receives the overwhelming approval of the historical consultors to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

2010

A diocesan process to investigate an alleged miracle through the intercession of Bishop Baraga is concluded with a positive judgment, and the acts of the process are transmitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

2011

In March 2011, the theological consultors to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints give their unanimous vote in favor of the heroic virtue of Bishop Baraga, noting especially his missionary zeal, and recommended his cause proceed to beatification.