Hopes rise with evidence of K of C founder’s reported medical miracle
by Jack Sheedy, News Editor
The Catholic Transcript

HARTFORD – New information on a reported medical miracle attributed to the intercession of the founder of the Knights of Columbus is on its way to Rome.

In another step in the beatification process for the Hartford diocesan priest, Father Michael J. McGivney (1852-90), Archbishop Henry J. Mansell and members of the tribunal for Father McGivney’s Cause signed documents that were then sealed and handed to Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, postulator, for delivery to Rome. The ceremony took place in the Pope St. Pius X Chapel at the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Hartford Sept. 22.

“The tribunal has completed its work,” said Msgr. John McCarthy, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Hartford and notary of the tribunal for Father McGivney’s Cause.

Patrick Korten, vice president for communications for the charitable organization that Father McGivney founded in 1882 in New Haven, said details of the miracle are still secret. “Really, about all we can say is there’s new information. It’s on the way to the Vatican. We’re very hopeful that it will have a positive result,” he said.

The beatification Cause for Father McGivney, who was born in Waterbury, was opened by Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin in December 1997 and was presented to the Vatican in 2000.

Father McGivney was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in March 2008. Beatification, the next step toward sainthood, requires confirmation of a miracle attributed to his intercession. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints has studied a reported miracle submitted by a tribunal consisting of a postulator, or promoter; an episcopal delegate; a promoter of justice; and a notary.

Dominican Father Gabriel O’Donnell, episcopal delegate, told The Transcript, “The Holy See has asked for further information, clarification, and so it means that the miracle wasn’t turned down, so this is a very important moment.”

Father O’Donnell was the original postulator in the cause. He is now vice postulator. He is also vice president and academic dean at Dominican House of Studies in Washington.

Dr. Ambrosi resides in Rome and has been postulator for about a year. He has been postulator for some 300 other sainthood causes. About 10 of them have resulted in canonizations, he said.

Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, told The Transcript before the public signing and sealing of the documents, “This is a very important day for the Cause of Father McGivney because it is the conclusion of the medical evidence and assessment for the miracle that’s been submitted, or what we hope will be considered a miracle, and so this is a very important step for us.”

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, who presided over the ceremonies at the chancery, said that predicting a timeline for Father McGivney’s sainthood process was “hard to say, very difficult to say.” He called the event “a very significant step” that can make “a big difference.”

Father O’Donnell said that if the miracle is accepted and Father McGivney is beatified, a second miracle is necessary before the Holy Father can declare him a saint.

The original documents will remain in Hartford and will be sealed from view, Father O’Donnell said.
About 50 priests and lay guests witnessed the ceremonial signing by Archbishop Mansell, followed by the public packaging and sealing of transcripts of the documents by Father O’Donnell and Dominican Father Juan-Diego Brunetta, the tribunal’s promoter of justice. The documents were carefully placed in cartons, wrapped in brown paper, tied with a red ribbon and sealed with sealing wax, a process that took about 10 minutes. Father O’Donnell then handed the package to Archbishop Mansell for inspection.

Archbishop Mansell broke a tense silence when he announced, “It’s clear that they’re sealed and ready to go.”

The package was then entrusted to Dr. Ambrosi for delivery to Rome.

Mr. Anderson said afterwards, “We think that during this Year for Priests this would be a wonderful, wonderful encouragement to every priest working in the United States today and for every seminarian. What a great encouragement for them to see a priest who was so dedicated to families, so dedicated to his mission of being a parish priest, raised up to the honors of the altar and really held out to the Universal Church as a model to be followed in his commitment and his sanctity and his dedication to his parish.”

Archbishop Mansell said, “It’s a wonderful development, a development for all the priests of the Archdiocese of Hartford.”