Pope Benedict XVI canonized five new saints in a liturgical celebration at St. Peter’s square on October 11. The canonized are Bishop Zygmunt Szsczęsny Felińsk, Dominican Father Francisco Coll, Father Jozef Damiaan de Veuster, Father Rafael Arnáiz Barón, and Sister Marie de la Croix (Jeanne) Jugan.

Bishop Zygmunt Szsczęsny Felińsk (1822-1895) was the founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary.  He was the archbishop of Warsaw, and as Pope Benedict said during the homily, “a great witness of faith and pastoral charity in very difficult times for the nation and for the Church in Poland”.

He spoke out against the shedding of blood during the uprising against the Russian annexation of Poland in 1863, and he defended the oppressed after the uprising was put down. The Russian Czar exiled him to Siberia, where he spent twenty years. “In every situation he stuck steadfastly to his trust in Divine Providence … may his dedication to God and to men, full of trust and of love, become a shining example for all the Church.”
Francisco Coll (1812-1875) founded the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As a Dominican, Coll’s “passion was preaching, for the most part in an itinerant manner and following the form of ‘popular missions.’” His audience was the people of Catalonia, and he strove to lead them to a profound encounter with God.

“Francis Coll reached the hearts of others because he transmitted what he himself lived with passion, that which burned in his heart: the love of Christ, his devotion to Him. [He] founded the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the goal of providing an integral education to children and youth…[and] animating our hope with his Word of life.”

Jozef De Veuster (1840-1889) was a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He is more commonly known as Fr. Damiaan. In 1863 he left his home in Flanders and traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and then the Island of Molokai to proclaim the Gospel to the lepers living there. He therefore exposed himself to their disease and “became a suffering servant, a leper with lepers, during the last four years of his life.”

“To follow Christ, Father Damiaan did not only leave his native country, but he also risked his health: therefore he received eternal life, as the Word of Jesus that was proclaimed in the Gospel today says.”

Brother Rafael Arnáiz (1911-1938) was an Oblate of the Trappists of Saint Isidore de Duenas. “He said yes to the proposal to follow Jesus, in an immediate and decisive way, without limits or conditions.”

“Brother Rafael, still close to us, continues to offer, through his example and his works, a fascinating journey, especially for young persons who are not satisfied easily, but who aspire to the full truth, the most inexpressible joy, reached for the love of God.”

Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879) was the foundress of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor. “[She] is like a beacon to guide our societies which must always rediscover the place and unique contribution of this period of life.” She gave up her bed one night for a homeless woman, and eventually began begging for the poor and homeless.

“Jeanne lived the mystery of love by peacefully accepting darkness and divesting herself of all material possessions until her death… May Saint Jeanne Jugan be for the elderly a living source of hope and for the persons so generously placing themselves at their service a powerful stimulus to pursue and develop her work.”

Benedict concluded his homily with, “Dear brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to the Lord for the gift of sanctity that today shines in the Church with a singular beauty… I would like to invite all of you to let yourselves be drawn by the shining example of these Saints, to allow yourselves to be guided by their teachings, so that our whole existence can become a hymn of praise to the love of God. May we gain this grace through their heavenly intercession and, above all, the maternal protection of Mary, Queen of the Saints and Mother of humanity. Amen.”

Related Articles:

1. Pope Canonizes Three New Saints On October 24th 2011, Pope Benedict XVI...