Today, at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI canonized five new saints (see CNS), including a Belgian priest who lived among and treated lepers in Hawaii and a French nun, Jeanne Jugan, who founded the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order which cares for the elderly.
The latter is particularly touching to me. One Sunday a year, a nun from the Little Sisters order in Richmond, Va., where I live, speaks at all six Masses at my parish, in a second collection appeal for the Saint Joseph’s Nursing Home it so ably runs. It used to be an elderly Irish nun, who was sharp as a newly minted knife. Her appeal was the same every year, but so well delivered. It was quite charming to hear it each year.
In her presentation, she never failed to mention the Blessed Jeanne Jugan, the order’s founder, “who we hope will be cannonized a saint one day soon.” I always found that to be particularly charming — they never give up hope, I would think. What faith! But how likely is it to happen? These nuns truly love this woman.
When I heard the news a couple weeks ago, I was stunned. But happily so. I hope the news of this canonization brings more recognition to such a wonderfully devoted order. They deserve it.
Pope Benedict: The perfection of the saints is “in choosing to go against the trend, in living according to the Gospel.” Jesus, even today, invites us all to the total gift of our lives, “without calculation and human self-interest. A demanding call, therefore, which the saints generously welcome, humbly dedicating themselves to obediently follow the crucified and risen Christ.”
