This year, at the meeting of the Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals, Pope Francis approved the canonisation of 15 people, including the millennial Blessed Carlo Acutis. On 20 October 2024, 14 of these were canonised as saints.
They were:
The Martyrs of Damascus, a group of 11 men who were executed in 1860 for refusing to renounce their Christian faith and convert to Islam. The martyrs, comprised of eight Franciscan friars and three laymen, who were attacked in a church in the Christian quarter of Damascus during a time of religious violence. These martyrs are Franciscan Father Manuel Ruiz, Father Carmelo Bolta, Father Nicanor Ascanio, Father Nicolás M. Alberca y Torres, Father Pedro Soler, Kolland, Brother Francisco Pinazo Peñalver, and Brother Juan S. Fernández. Of the group of martyrs, there were three laymen among them. These were brothers — Francis, Abdel Mooti, and Raphael Massabki. Francis Massabki, the oldest of the brothers, was a father of eight children. Mooti was a father of five who visited the Church of St. Paul daily for prayer and to teach catechism lessons. The youngest brother, Raphael, was single and was known to spend long periods of time praying in the church and helping the friars.
The newly canonised include St. Giuseppe Allamano, a diocesan priest from Italy who founded the Consolata missionary orders, and St. Marie-Léonie Paradis, a Canadian nun from Montreal known for founding an order dedicated to the service of priests and St. Elena Guerra, hailed as an “apostle of the Holy Spirit (Mares 2024).
Blessed Carlos Acutis is scheduled to be canonised during the Jubilee Year celebrations of 2025.
Why do the saints matter?
In the Apostle’s Creed the faithful profess:
“I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.”
From this we come to understand that the Church is made up of the assembly of saints. With Christ as the Head, the Holy Spirit forms and governs the Church, and the saints, the body of the Church. In our struggle towards holiness, we are also a part of this communion of saints.
Communion in this context, has several depths of meaning. First, “Communion” has to do with a communion in holy things – God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people, second, “Communion” refers to the communion among holy persons.
The faithful share and participate in the communion of sacraments which unite us to God our loving Father and with each other, the communion of charisms for the building of the Kingdom of God, and the communion of charity – “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26). The Christian is called to live in solidarity with each other.
The Communion of Saints also connects Heaven and Earth. The Church Militant (on Earth) is connected to the Suffering Church (Holy Souls in Purgatory) and the Church Triumphant (in Heaven). (CCC 946-962)
With this Communion in mind, as pilgrims towards Heaven, we are not alone in our trials and tribulations. Many saints too struggled in their faith journey – Many whom experienced the same challenges that we face daily. We can turn to these saints as our special buddies, we can also seek the help of these saints to be our own special patron saints, protectors, and guardians, by taking on their names during the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
What is one way we could draw closer to the Communion of Saints this season?
By the Grace of God,
Brian Bartholomew Tan
References
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Nd. “Paragraph 5. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS“. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Mares, Courtney. 2024. “Pope Francis canonizes 14 new saints, including priests martyred in Syria” EWTN Vatican. Retrieved November 2, 2024 (https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/pope-francis-canonizes-14-new-saints-including-priests-martyred-in-syria-3595)