After a period of meticulous study and assessment of Father McGivney’s life and virtues, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints announced on March 15, 2008, that Pope Benedict XVI had approved a decree of heroic virtue and Father McGivney was declared Venerable Servant of God.
The decree reads, in part:
Concerning the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love both toward God and neighbor as well as the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude, and those others joined to them, they existed to a heroic degree in the Servant of God Michael McGivney, Diocesan Priest and Founder of the Fraternal Order the Knights of Columbus.
Two extraordinary healings were reported to the Congregation but neither was accepted as miraculous according to the Vatican’s high standards of proof.
Knowing that these setbacks were simply a sign of the Vatican’s high standards and the integrity of the sainthood process, the Father McGivney Guild continued to receive reports of extraordinary favors and finally came across one that would be judged miraculous. The healing of an unborn baby from a fatal condition proved to be the miracle opening the way for the beatification of Father McGivney.
Next: CURRENT PHASE OF THE CAUSE
