Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief


All Saints: Year for Priests
November 1, 2009, 1:27 pm
Filed under: the scenic route | Tags:

Sort of like ‘grave to an unknown soldier’; all those saints unknown to the church.

Puzzling again over the dearth of good art re:St John Vianney (aka the mad-looking priest), I think (correct me if this is wrong) that there aren’t any other priests declared as saints who weren’t martyrs or popes or in religious orders. Which is a shame, as I doubt it’s true that the only way for a priest to get to heaven is to become pope, a monk, or die horribly.

There must be a good number of unknown secular priests who led quiet, undramatic lives, carrying out the same work day in day out over decades, who are now saints.

6 Comments

6 Comments

Religious orders have all the resources (and the enthusiasm) required for promoting a cause of canonization. The Dominicans or Franciscans or Carmelites are able to be very proactive in working for the canonization of one of their own. Who is going to campaign for the canonization of some saintly but unglamorous priest from a hundred years ago? Probably no one, sadly.

Comment by markarmitage November 1, 2009 @ 7:36 pm

Two local examples of canonizable priests, whom I assume weren’t members of religious orders: http://www.stmaryscathedral.org.uk/history_architecture/crypt.html

Comment by markarmitage November 1, 2009 @ 8:20 pm

“who I assume…”

I like the expression “martyrs of charity”.

Comment by markarmitage November 1, 2009 @ 8:23 pm

‘martyrs of charity’ – yes, it’s exactly the right phrase. Good point about the religious orders, I’d never have thought of that.

Thanks for the link – they just pass into obscurity, it’s so sad. I’m sure I’ll have looked at that page before and not given it a second thought.

I think William Riddell must also have some other commemoration – the name rings a bell but not sure why.

Comment by madame evangelista November 2, 2009 @ 9:29 am

They don’t pass into obscurity, they’ve got the greatest of gifts. I think, it’s us who is in loss because we don’t get to ask for their intercession. Yet, I am sure they are still praying for poor souls like us.

I miss you guys :)

Comment by derya November 3, 2009 @ 2:07 am

Yes that’s true, they’re only obscure to us.

Comment by madameevangelista November 3, 2009 @ 10:54 am


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