From the Pasadena Star-News with my emphases and comments:
Claretian priest buried at the San Gabriel Mission is subject of recent petition for sainthood
By Brenda Gazzar,SAN GABRIEL – Three decades after his death, a steady stream of visitors from around the country still pay homage to the San Gabriel Mission grave site of Father Aloysius Ellacuria. [A necessary component examined in a cause is an enduring veneration over many years and the person’s fama sanctitatis.]Now, the Basque Claretian Missionary priest, who had a reputation as a miracle worker and ministered for many years within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is on a path many of his devotees hope will lead to sainthood.Father Aloysius is the subject of a rare petition submitted last month to Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez to open a cause of beatification and canonization, the first step in a process that could culminate in the Catholic Church recognizing him as a saint.“Aloysius is a special case,” said the Rev. Kevin Manion, a priest of the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, Mexico, who submitted the petition and worked with Father Aloysius as his secretary for eight years before his April 1981 death.“He’s like (from) the High Middle Ages as a miracle worker as (one that has) spiritual insight, his ability to address people where they are at. He was completely present to people.”In 1976, Father Aloysius told Manion to keep sealed for 20 years recordings and documents he gave him regarding his life. [Which shows some prudence and humility about his own person.]Today, in an effort to support the case for beatification, Manion and others are archiving many of those materials and collecting testimonies from his devotees, who speak of miraculous healings, his ability to “read souls” and to cast out demons.The legal process within the church, much of which is secret, will seek evidence demonstrating whether Father Aloysius should be beatified, the last formal step before potentially being canonized or officially recognized as a saint for exercising virtue to a “heroic degree,” Manion said.[…]
Claretian priest buried at the San Gabriel Mission is subject of recent petition for sainthoodCheck the rest of the story there.
This is great news! Last spring we were about to leave on a long drive to go see one of our sons and my hip was really causing me a lot of pain. I dreaded having that spoil our trip. The morning before we left a friend at Mass gave me a paper about this wonderful priest and that day I asked his intercession to alleviate my pain. (There’s no coincidence with our awesome Lord!) My prayer was miraculously answered!
Such an interesting life. He entered the Salesian Missionaries when he was eleven years old. Later he was a professor of Greek and Latin. Towards the very end of his life he founded the Missionaries of Perpetual Adoration.
Both St. Ignatius Loyola and St. Francis Xavier, along with several other saints, are Basque.
I will ask him to intercede for the Claretains that they may return to the Faith.
Eric,
I believe St. Francis Xavier was from Navarre.
Navarre *is* Basque country.
Santo Subito!
Not as much as where St. Ignatius is from.
This is true; but I do believe that St. Francis Xavier was indeed ethnically Basque.
There are about 146 beatified and canonized saints from the Basque provinces. Among them is Blessed Domingo Iturrate of the Trinitarians. As a boy Domingo and Aloysius were playmates. Domingo’s uncle was Aloysius parish priest.
In December 1970, I was cured of Hodgkin’s Disease through Father Aloysius in the chapel at the Claretian Monastery on Westchester Place in Los Angeles. He became a family friend and we named our son, Theodore Joseph Ellacuria ______, in honor of him in 1984.
He did a good teaching on how to pray. Certainly if we expect to be acceptable before The Allmighty our praying skills should be sharpened by the stone Fr. Aloysius is. Behold, the handmaid of the Lord … be it done in me according to Thy will …
As a Basque myself, this post is very good news to me. I pray that the canonization process of Fr. Aloysius move forward without impediment! Thanks for posting this article.