Rome, 21 February 2019
Letter of Superior General to the Visitors, Regional Superiors and Superiors of the International Missions
Dear confreres,
May the grace and peace of Jesus be always with us!
On 25 January 2018, for the closing of the 400th Anniversary of the Vincentian Charism and the beginning of the fifth century of the Charism, I wrote a letter to the whole Vincentian Family suggesting two initiatives:
A) To renew and deepen the Culture of Vocations.
B) To renew and deepen our relationship with the Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God of the Vincentian Family around the world as models of the Vincentian charism and spirituality.
With this letter, dear confreres, I would like to share with you once again the second initiative, but this time focused on the Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God of the Congregation of the Mission.
The following list presents all the Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God of the Congregation of the Mission from its beginnings until today.
SAINTS
1. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
2. John Gabriel Perboyre, CM (1802-1840) 2
3. Francis Regis Clet, CM (1748-1820)
4. Justin De Jacobis, CM (1800-1860)
BLESSED
For the Blessed: a miracle is required for canonization. However, one is sufficient and will apply to the whole group of the respective companions.
ETHIOPIA – ERITREA
5. Gebremichael, CM (1791-1855)
FRANCE
6. Louis Joseph François, CM (1751-1792), and Companions, Martyrs
7. Peter René Rogue, CM (1758-1796)
SPAIN
8. Fortunato Velasco Tobar, CM (1906-1936), and 13 Companions, Martyrs
9a. José María Fernández Sánchez, CM (1875-1936), and 38 Companions, Martyrs
9b. Vicente Queralt Lloret, CM (1894-1936), and 20 Companions, Martyrs
ITALY
10. Marco Antonio Durando, CM (1801-1880)
VENERABLE
For the Venerable: they have received the Pope’s Decree on the heroic nature of their virtues. A miracle is needed beatification.
ITALY
11. Salvatore Micalizzi, CM (1856-1937)
SLOVENIA
12. Monsignor Janez Frančišek Gnidovec, CM (1873-1939)
BRAZIL
13. Monsignor Antônio Ferreira Viçoso, CM (1787-1875)
SERVANTS OF GOD
For the Servants of God: the Beatification Process has begun. At the end of the process, if the “Positio super virtutibus” is approved, the Pope authorizes the Decree on the heroic nature of their virtues. We need a miracle for beatification, but it is not necessary for martyrs.
POLAND
14. Józef Florko, CM (1915-1945), and 10 Companions, Martyrs (Collaborator, Reverend Darius Drążek) 3
SPAIN
15. Monsignor Bonaventura Codina, CM (1785-1847) (Collaborator, Corpus Delgado, CM)
SLOVENIA
16. Jan Strasek, CM, Martyr (1906-1947) (Vice-Postulator, Dario Grbac, CM)
ITALY
17. Giuseppe Alloatti, CM (1857-1933) (Vice-Postulator, Mario Grossi, CM)
18. Giovanni Battista Manzella, CM (1855-1937) (Vice-Postulator, Pietro Pigozzi, CM)
HOLLAND
19. Monsignor Frans Hubert Schraven, CM (1873-1937), and six Companions, Martyrs (Vice-Postulator, Wiel Bellemakers, CM)
SLOVAKIA
20. Ján Havlik, CM, Martyr (1927-1964) (Vice-Postulator, Emil Hoffmann, CM)
PERU
21. Monsignor Emilio Lissón Chaves, CM (1872-1961) (Collaborator, Corpus Delgado, CM)
FRANCE
22. Monsignor Jacques Emile Sontag, CM (1869-1918), and Companions, Martyrs (Vice-Postulator, François Hiss, CM)
UNITED STATES
23. Felix de Andreis, CM (1778-1820)
CHINA
24. Claudius Chevrier, CM (1821-1870)
25. Vincent Ou, CM (1826-1870)
26. Julius Garrigues, CM (1840-1900)
27. Maurice Doré, CM (1862-1900)
28. Pasquale D’Addosio, CM (1835-1900)
29. Monsignor Claudius A. Chavanne, CM (1862-1900)
PROCESSES NEVER BEGUN
Too much time has passed since the death of the confreres listed below and possibly others who could be considered for beatification and canonization. In order to begin the process, one would have to justify the motive for the delay.
UNITED STATES
30. Monsignor Giuseppe Rosati, CM (1789-1843)
31. William Slattery, CM (1895-1982), Superior General of the CM 4
ECUADOR
32. Monsignor Peter Schumacher, CM (1839-1902)
ITALY
33. Giovanni Battista Tornatore, CM (1820-1895)
POLAND
34. Czesław Lewandowski, CM (1864-1934)
The list presents the confrere; the Province, Vice-Province, Region to which he belonged as of today’s configuration of the Congregation; and the Vice-Postulator or Collaborator of the causes of the confreres for beatification or canonization that are still in process. The Vice-Postulator is the confrere who accompanies the process from the country concerned and, after the cause is finished on the diocesan level, everything is sent to Rome, where the Postulator General continues the cause to its conclusion.
I strongly believe that the renewal and deepening of our relationship with our Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God, as models of the Vincentian charism and spirituality, provides us, firstly, with vivid examples to follow. Secondly, it is an extraordinary tool for evangelization, for introducing or deepening the Vincentian charism and spirituality among people in general and especially among youth, being also a source for new positive responses to consecrated life, to our Little Company.
Here are some steps I suggest you follow:
• Revive the veneration and invocation of the Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God by starting from their place of origin, where they were born, lived, served, died, where they are buried or their relics are kept, through different initiatives to deepen our relationship with them. Renewing that closeness with them on a local level will encourage and help to spread veneration and prayer through their intercession with renewed strength to other parts of the world.
• Hold meetings to make them known to those who do not know them, or do not know them well; organize pilgrimages; develop prayer services for children, youth, and adults; print new booklets; prepare PowerPoint presentations; use different media.
• Pray incessantly to ask Jesus for the grace that all the Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God or possible new candidates for sainthood be canonized by the Church.
It is about linking our lives, efforts, initiatives, plans, and common dreams as closely as possible to those who have gone before us and are now in heaven interceding for us. They will respond if we ask for their intercession before God. They are our role models on how to live the Vincentian charism and spirituality. All of them speak or can speak to children, youth, adults, all people today, at this time in history, as exemplars of holiness. They are also one of the resources for new vocations to consecrated life or active lay involvement in the different branches of the Vincentian Family, in the mission of Jesus, in the mission of the Church. 5
I would like to invite all the Provinces and Vice-Provinces who have a confrere whose cause for sainthood is still in process, who is presently Blessed, Venerable, or a Servant of God, to continue or revive the cause, even if his beatification or the announcement of his becoming a Servant of God was many years ago.
In addition, if, in a Province, Vice-Province, Region, or International Mission, there are confreres who have died in the “Odor of Sanctity,” I encourage you to consider starting new processes of beatification and canonization. It certainly will give an extraordinary sign to the world, the Church, and us that the Vincentian charism and spirituality are very much alive, to the point of sanctity!
Our Postulator General, Giuseppe Guerra, (postgen@cmglobal.org or giuseppe.guerra@vincenziani.it) is available to answer questions and to help individual Provinces or Vice-Provinces with proceeding further in the process of any specific cause or causes or to start new ones.
Thank you so very much for all you have done already or are doing in this regard in the different Provinces, Vice-Provinces, Regions, International Missions, or Missions ad Gentes, as well as for all that you will do to deepen and renew the relationship with our Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God.
May the intercession of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Saint Vincent de Paul, and all the Saints, Blessed, Venerable, and Servants of God of our Little Company accompany all our efforts!
Your brother in Saint Vincent,
Tomaž Mavrič, CM
Superior General
