From the Kennedy funeral missal to today's faithful, Leaflet Missal has served Catholics since 1929. Discover why our family-owned company has been trusted for nearly a century.
Who's Next for Canonization - Catholic Saints in progress
Written by: Joseph O'Brien
|
Published on
|
Last updated on
The Catholic world is buzzing with excitement after the canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, two beloved figures whose lives of holiness quickly captured the hearts of the faithful. While they had much attention throughout the Catholic world and beyond, it might be less well known who is coming up next for canonization. Across the globe, the Church is carefully discerning the causes of men and women whose heroic virtue, witness, and miracles may one day bring them to join the ranks of officially recognized and canonized saints.
This blog post is a running guide of Catholics on the road to sainthood, with updates on their causes, key dates, and stories of their lives. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but we will aim to keep this updated with many of the upcoming saints that we think should be highlighted!
The path to sainthood follows a careful, step-by-step process. It begins at the diocesan level, when a bishop petitions Rome to open an investigation into the life of someone who has died with a reputation for holiness. Once the cause is accepted, the individual is given the title Servant of God.
The Vatican then reviews evidence of what the Church calls “heroic virtue” - a consistent, extraordinary living out of the theological and cardinal virtues (faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance). If approved, the person is declared Venerable.
Beatification follows with the recognition of a miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession, granting them the title Blessed.
Finally, after a second miracle is confirmed and attributed to the Blessed, they are canonized as a Saint.
The canonization of Pope John Paul II - Image credit: Jeffrey Bruno / Aleteia
The process can move quickly or span centuries. St. John Paul II canonized St. José María Escrivá just 27 years after his death, while St. Teresa of Calcutta was canonized in only 19 years - making her one of the fastest in modern history. More recently, Carlo Acutis was canonized only 19 years after his death as well.
On the other end of the spectrum, St. Hildegard of Bingen, who died in 1179, was not officially canonized until 2012, more than 800 years later. Most causes take decades, as the Church exercises extreme caution in ensuring the authenticity of virtue, devotion, and miracles.
October 19, 2025 Canonizations
José Gregorio Hernández
Birth date: October 26, 1864
Year of death: 1919
From: Isnotu, Venezuela
Canonization stage: Blessed
José kicks off our group of 7 blesseds who will be canonized saints on October 19, 2025 by Pope Leo XIV.
José, known as the “doctor of the poor” in Venezuela, was a physician and professor who lived his faith through daily Mass, charity, and service to the sick, especially during the 1918 Spanish flu. Though he briefly pursued religious life, illness led him to remain a layman, glorifying God through his medicinal work. He died after being struck by a car while fetching medicine for a poor patient.
He was beatified on April 30, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic - a fitting moment for a man remembered for healing and hope.
Image from Wikipedia
Mother Carmen Rendiles
Birth date: August 11, 1903
Year of death: 1977
From: Caracas, Venezuela
Canonization stage: Blessed
Along with José, Mother Carmen will be the first saint from Venezuela!
Blessed María Carmen Rendiles (1903–1977), born Carmen Elena Rendiles Martínez, overcame the disability of being born without her left arm to live a life of deep faith and leadership. She entered religious life with the Servants of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in France, later founding the Servants of Jesus in Venezuela, where she served as the first Superior General. Known for her maternal care, Eucharistic devotion, and holiness, she guided many souls to God. She was beatified on June 16, 2018.
Image from Wikipedia
Bartolo Longo
Birth date: February 10, 1841
Year of death: 1926
From: Latiano, Italy
Canonization stage: Blessed
Bartolo's story is one of complete transformation - from a Satanist to a Saint.
Bartolo Longo fell into the occult as a young man before experiencing a powerful conversion through the guidance of a Dominican friar. Renouncing his past, he became a Dominican tertiary (lay man or woman committed to living the Dominican way) and dedicated his life to spreading devotion to the Rosary, convinced it was a sure path to conversion and peace. In 1876 he founded the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, which remains a major Marian pilgrimage site.
Bartolo was beatified by St. John Paul II on October 26, 1980.
Image from Wikipedia
“Awaken your confidence in the Most Blessed Virgin of the Rosary. Venerable Holy Mother, in you I rest all my troubles, all my trust and all my hope!”
Bartolo Longo
Along with these three, four others will be canonized on October 19th, 2025. These are:
Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan - Armenian bishop and martyr of the Ottoman genocide
Peter To Rot - Lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, martyred in World War II
Vincenza Maria Poloni, Italian founder of the Sisters of Mercy
Maria Troncatti - Italian Salesian missionary to the Indigenous people of Ecuador
Other Blesseds Without Set Canonizations
Solanus Casey
Birth date: November 25, 1870
Year of death: 1957
From: Oak Grove, Wisconsin, United States
Canonization stage: Blessed
Blessed Solanus Casey (1870–1957) was a humble Capuchin Franciscan priest known for his deep prayer, simplicity, and compassion. Struggling academically, he was ordained as a “simplex priest,” unable to preach or hear confessions, and served mainly as a porter at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit.
From this modest role, he became renowned as a spiritual guide, with many reporting healings through his intercession. He was well known for his phrase “thank God ahead of time." He left behind a legacy of holiness and trust in God.
He was beatified in Detroit on November 18, 2017.
Image from Wikipedia
Chiara Badano
Birth date: October 29, 1971
Year of death: 1990
From: Sassello, Italy
Canonization stage: Blessed
Chiara Badano grew up with a radiant, generous personality that earned her the nickname “Luce” (“light”). At 17, she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful and aggressive bone cancer. Despite her immense suffering, including losing the use of her legs, she remained joyful and united to Christ, often saying, “For You, Jesus… if You want it, I want it too.” She refused heavy painkillers to stay mentally alert, offering her suffering for others and continuing to encourage friends and family with her peace and faith.
Chiara was beatified on September 25, 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. A second miracle is still needed for her cause for canonization.
Find all details for her cause for canonization at this link.
Image from Wikipedia
Michael McGiveney
Birth date: August 12, 1852
Year of death: 1890
From: Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
Canonization stage: Blessed
Born to Irish immigrant parents, Michael McGivney grew up in poverty, hardship, and anti-Catholic prejudice. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1877, becoming a parish priest known for his care, youthful energy, and compassion for struggling families.
Fr. McGivney’s most enduring legacy was founding the Knights of Columbus in 1882 - a fraternal organization to support Catholic men, strengthen families, and provide for widows and orphans. What began in a parish basement in New Haven has since grown to over 2 million members worldwide, still dedicated to his vision of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.
He died in a flu pandemic in 1890 and was beatified on October 31, 2010.
Find all details for Fr.'s cause for canonization at this link.
Image from Wikipedia
Holy Men and Women Not Quite Blesseds
Adele Brise
Birth date: January 30, 1831
From: Dion-le-Val, Belgium
Year of death: 1896
Canonization stage: Cause opened
Adele was a Belgian immigrant to Wisconsin who, in 1859, experienced apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary near Champion, urging her to teach children the faith in the wilderness. She devoted her life to catechizing children, often walking long distances to reach families, and formed the Sisters of Good Help to continue the mission. During the great Peshtigo Fire of 1871, her chapel and school were miraculously spared.
On June 14, 2024, shortly after the apparition was officially approved by the Vatican in 2022, the U.S. bishops approved the advancement of her cause for beatification and canonization, making her the first U.S. Marian visionary with an open cause.
Image from the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion
We visited the shrine and made a short 12-minute documentary about the apparition and shrine grounds. Give it a watch to learn all about America's Mary and Adele Brise.
Michelle Dupong
Birth date: January 25, 1984
From: Wheat Ridge, Colorado, United States
Year of death: 2015
Canonization stage: Servant of God
Michelle Duppong served for years as a missionary with FOCUS on several university campuses and later as Director of Adult Faith Formation in the Diocese of Bismarck. When doctors discovered she had stage-4 cancer in late 2014, she embraced her suffering with faith and joy, offering her hardship for others. Even during her illness, she continued ministering to people, showing kindness and concern for others more than for herself.
Since her death, there have been multiple reports of healings attributed to Michelle’s intercession, including people suffering from cancer and infertility, in response to prayers asking for her help. None of these have yet been officially verified as miracles by the Church.
Image from FOCUS
Pray for these holy men and women!
The stories of these men and women remind us that holiness is not distant or unattainable—it is lived in classrooms and hospitals, in parishes and family homes, in joy and in suffering. As the Church continues to recognize new blesseds and saints, we are given fresh examples of how to follow Christ with courage and love in every circumstance. This list will be updated as causes advance, dates for canonizations are set, and new figures step forward on the path to sainthood. In the meantime, we can turn to these witnesses for inspiration and ask for their intercession, trusting that God is still raising up saints in our own time.
