Yesterday morning, Sunday 3rd June, St Peter’s Square was filled with thousands of people – and umbrellas!.They were mainly from Ireland, Poland, The Netherlands, Malta and France.
They had come to celebrate the canonization of four people –Dun Ġorġ Preca of Malta, Father Simon of Poland, Fr Charles, originally from The Netherlands, but lived most of his priestly life in Dublin and Sr Marie Eugenie Milleret de Bro from France.
At nine o’clock, Irish time, Pope Benedict arrived to conduct the elaborate ceremony.
Cardinals and bishops from across the world participated in the ceremony as well as the Presidents of Ireland, Malta, Poland and the Philippines : where the miracle which guaranteed sainthood for Sr. Marie Eugenie took place.
As it was the feast of the Trinity, the Mass was for that feast – a fitting one for canonization.
“Together with the whole community of the Church”, Pope Benedict began, “in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, we recognize the new saints and admire the work each of them did.”
Cardinal Martinez, who was responsible for preparing the background for the new saints, requested the Pope to recognize these new saints, listing briefly what each had done.
The Pope agreed and then formally declared and defined that they were now saints. Relics of each of the new saints were then brought to the altar. Finally, Cardinal Martinez thanked the Pope.
Mass then continued with the Gloria, sung by the choir.
In his homily Benedict XVI, underlined that “God’s wisdom manifests itself in the cosmos, in its variety and the beauty of its elements, but his greatest masterpiece are the saints”.
More precisely – explained the pontiff, inspired by the Mass readings - “Every single saint participates in the richness of Christ, given to him from the father, through the Holy Spirit. It is always the Holiness of Christ that the Spirit plasmates in “saintly souls”, creating in them friends of Christ and witnesses of his Holiness”.
But the principal protagonist –said the pope – was “the Glory of God reflected in the lives of the saints”. Benedict XVI, thus united the solemn feast of the Holy Trinity – in which we “lift our gaze to the “open skies“ …to the profound depths of God’s mystery, who is one being in three persons – to the ceremony of the canonization of 4 blessed from Malta, Poland, Holland, France.
The pope then went on to reflect on the character and work of the 4 new saints.
Fr. George Preca was “A friend of Christ and a witness of his holiness, moulded by Him …, , born in La Valletta on the island of Malta. As a priest he dedicated himself entirely to evangelization: through preaching, writing, catechesis, the administration of the sacraments but first and foremost through the example of his way of life.”
The Pole Simon of Lipnica, “a witness of Christ and follower of St Francis of Assisi, lived in a distant time, yet today he is proposed to the Church as a model of that type of Christian, who animated by the Spirit of the Gospel is ready to give their entire life to their fellow man.
The Pope (in English) then presented the figure of the Passionist Karel van Sint Andries Houben, “totally dedicated to the care of souls. During his many years of priestly ministry in England and Ireland, the people flocked to him to seek out his wise counsel, his compassionate care and his healing touch. In the sick and the suffering he recognized the face of the Crucified Christ, to whom he had a lifelong devotion. He drank deeply from the rivers of living water that poured forth from the side of the Pierced One, and in the power of the Spirit he bore witness before the world to the Father’s love. At the funeral of this much-loved priest, affectionately known as Father Charles of Mount Argus, his superior was moved to observe: “The people have already declared him a saint’”.
In his reflections on Marie-Eugénie Milleret the Pope underlined her strong bond with the Eucharist. As a child she had received First communion, but her family were followers of Voltaire and never gave her any religious instruction. It was only when she reached 15 that Marie Eugenie discovered the faith.
"Following the example of Saint Marie Eugenie may all the men and women of today transmit those same necessary values to young people so that they too may become joyful witnesses of the Risen Christ. So that those young people will no longer be afraid of welcoming those spiritual and moral values and will be able to live accordingly with patience and faithfulness. This is how their characters are formed, this is how we can prepare them for the future”.
The pontiff concluded “Let us be drawn by their examples, let us be guided by their teachings so that our entire existence become as theirs a song of praise and glory to the Holy Trinity. May we obtain this grace through Mary, the Queen of Saints and through the intercession of this our “Elder Brothers” who we venerate today. Amen”.
At the end of the celebration Benedict XVI greeted those present in different languages, thanking them for their “patience” for having put up with the ceaseless rain.
“But water – said the Pope with a smile – is a precious gift and so we must also give praise for the water”.
The faithful loudly applauded, waving flags, hats and rain-drenched umbrellas.
Today, 4th June at 6.30 pm., Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonisation of Saint Charles of Mount Argus.
The Mass to be attended by pilgrims from Ireland, Holland and many other nations takes place in the Basilica of Saint John and Saint Paul on Rome’s Coelian Hill. Since 1773 this ancient Church and Monastery has served as the seat of administration for the Passionist order to which Saint Charles belonged.
In his homily, Archbishop Martin will say that Father Charles teaches us that we should never allow the seemingly difficult circumstances in which we minister or witness to lead us to give up on the proclamation of the Gospel.
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