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Skriven 2005-05-16 09:37:44 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
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                               VIS-Press releases

SAINTS ARE THE MASTERPIECES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2005 (VIS) - This evening at the altar of the Cathedra
1in the Vatican Basilica, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at Mass for the beatification
of Servants of God Ascension Nicol Goni and Marianne Cope.

At the beginning of the ceremony, by order of Benedict XVI, Cardinal Saraiva
read out the Apostolic Letter by which the Supreme Pontiff inscribed the two
Servants of God in the Book of Blesseds.

In his homily, the cardinal spoke of the Solemnity of Pentecost, highlighting
how the Apostles "experienced the Holy Spirit and became witnesses of Christ,
Who died and rose again, missionaries along the paths of the world. The same
experience is repeated in all those who, by accepting Christ, open themselves
to God and to humanity; it is repeated above all in the saints, both in the
anonymous saints and in those who have been raised to the glory of the altars.
Saints are the masterpieces of the Spirit, Who molds the face of Christ, and
infuses God's charity in their hearts."

Speaking of the Spanish Blessed, Ascension del Corazon de Jesus, the cardinal
described her as "one of the great missionaries of the last century" who
"wished to belong exclusively to God, consecrating herself as a Dominican nun
in the Santa Rosa monastery in Huesca, Spain." After recalling that when she
was 45, the Lord called her to be a missionary in Peru, Cardinal Saraiva
affirmed: "With youthful enthusiasm and complete trust in Providence, she left
her homeland and dedicated herself to the task of evangelization, extending her
zeal to the entire world, beginning with the American continent. Her generous,
far-reaching and effective work left a profound impression in the missionary
history of the Church.

"She collaborated with the Dominican Bishop Ramon Zubieta in founding the
Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary, a congregation of which
she was the first superior general. Her missionary life abounded in sacrifice,
renunciation and apostolic fruits. ... Supported by a living faith and a
fervent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to Our Lady of the Rosary,
she committed herself to the salvation of souls, completely forgetting herself.
She frequently exhorted her daughters to do likewise, affirming that souls
cannot be saved without personal sacrifice."

As for Marianne Cope, who was born in Germany but emigrated to the United
States while still very young, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes
of Saints pointed out that her encounter "with those suffering from leprosy
took place when she was far along on her journey to Christ. For 20 years she
had been a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St.
Francis of Syracuse in New York."

God, said the cardinal, called her "to a more difficult missionary service,"
that of caring for lepers on the Island of Molokai, Hawaii. "She left
everything and abandoned herself completely to the will of God. ... She
willingly worked with Blessed Damian De Veuster," known as the apostle of
lepers, and "she loved those suffering from leprosy more than she loved her
very self. She served them, educated them, and guided them with wisdom, love
and strength. She saw in them the suffering face of Jesus. Like the Good
Samaritan, she became their mother."

At the end of his homily, Cardinal Saraiva highlighted how the two new Blesseds
"brought into the world the fruits and signs of the presence of the Holy
Spirit, they spoke the language of truth and love, the only language capable of
breaking down the barriers of culture and race, and of rebuilding the unity of
the human family, which has been lost through pride, the thirst for power, and
the refusal of God's sovereignty."
.../BEATIFICATION/SARAIVA MARTINS VIS 050516 (650)

SUMMARY

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