Edmund the Saint?

After the Beatification of Blessed Edmund Rice on the 6th October 1996, investigations into his life continued. At present there are hundreds of Causes “in deferral” in the Vatican. (“Deferral” is the time between Beatification and the actual Canonisation). To advance a person’s Cause to Sainthood, a second miracle is usually required. This miracle must be performed after the Beatification.

Canonisation – the making of a Saint

The Canonisation of a Saint is infallibly pronounced by the Pope in a formal declaration called an “apostolic bull”, and the Canonisation ceremony is usually celebrated in St Peter’s in Rome. The Pope declares that the person is in heaven, is worthy of public veneration, and is included in the liturgical calendar of the Universal Church.

Canonisation permits:
• Public honour and veneration of the Saint worldwide;
• Church buildings to bear the Saint's name;
• A liturgical feast (Mass & Liturgy of the Hours) to be placed on the Church's universal calendar;
• Images of the Saint to be publicly displayed in any church;
• The Saint's remains to be publicly honoured.

Blessed Edmund to St. Edmund

To become a saint, evidence is required that people are praying through Edmund’s intercession and that he is seen as an exemplar of some aspect(s) of Christian living.

It is very important that a record is kept of any favours received. Regarding more extraordinary favours, which may in fact be miraculous cures granted by God through the intercession of Blessed Edmund, these need to be recorded locally in detail. Copies of the medical evidence must be obtained, if these are going to be processed as possible miracles. If Edmund's cause is to advance towards canonisation, a miracle which occurred since his beatification on 6 October 1996 will need to be found.

Who knows but one of the favours granted in your region of the world may very well be the one that God will use towards Edmund being declared ‘St Edmund Rice’!

The message then is clear: Keep up the prayer through Edmund’s intercession in your own small groups. Inform the relevant Edmund Rice Network people in your part of the world and widen the prayer base of the various novenas, etc., which you organise for various named sick people.

The day has now come when we can fruitfully add such a phrase as “and hasten the day when Blessed Edmund will be declared a saint of the Church” to the various Edmund Rice Prayers that we use in different parts of the world.

The postulator is the person who is specially appointed to coordinate the process in Rome.

The postulator is Br. Donal Blake cfc:
blake.d@tiscalinet.it

Br. Blakes Assistant is Br. Bede Minehane fpm:
pbm@eircom.net

For up to date information about the Cause of Blessed Edmund, visit From the Postulator's Desk