The following comes from an April 18 Vatican Information Service blog post:
This morning in the Holy See Press office, the Day of Reflection dedicated to “Friar Junipero Serra, apostle of California, witness of holiness”, to be held on Saturday 2 May at the Pontifical North American College of Rome, Italy. At the beginning of the press conference, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., announced that the Pope will canonise Blessed Junipero Serra on 23 September during his apostolic trip to the United States, outside the National Shrine in Washington, D.C.
The event on 2 May, convoked by the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and funded by the archdiocese of Los Angeles, will aim to inform on the life, mission and witness of holiness of Friar Junipero Serra, O.F.M. (1713-1784).
Speakers at the conference were Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., president of the Pontifical Council for Latin America; Guzman Carriquiry Lecour, secretary of the vice-presidency of the same dicastery; Fr. Vincenzo Criscuolo, O.F.M. Cap., general rapporteur of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints; and Msgr. James Francis Checcio, rector of the Pontifical North American College.
The activities to take place on the Day of Reflection include the Pope’s visit to the Pontifical North American College, during which he will officiate at Holy Mass.
Alleluia! Fr. Serra has been one of my heroes since I was a kid many years ago! Now I an pray to him as a Saint! Alleluia!
What are the two major miracles performed for the canonization ?
Good question !
Hurray for Father Serra!
It’s no coincidence our California cities bear names like San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego – it’s he who brought the faith to this land!
Much of the United States is Catholic because of the Spanish influence, and most of California owes its Catholic identity to Father Serra. I am glad his case is progressing successfully. Ave Maria Purrissima !
One must wonder whether the movement by allegedly CHINO ‘catholic’ (small ‘c’) homosexual activists in the CA legislature (a single party ruled body in itself not fit to pass gas) to Remove Father Serra from the US Capitol and replace him with former astronaut Sally Ride (now a homosex icon) as more important to promoting their agenda than that of the rich history of California which Father Serra is such a part of…
Was in fact motivated by the planned canonization of Blessed Juniper Serra the article speaks of?
And Just Precisely How do the Justify the Switch?
has it ever occurred to any CCD reader why Father Serra is being canonized in a ceremony 2500 miles away from his work, by a Pope who bears the name San Francisco?
Ahem – Houston, we have a problem… With the spell-check function.
Correction Follows – That would be the “Blessed Junipero Serra” and not (as the spoolchucker here garbled it) ‘juniper’.