THE VATICAN: Pope John Paul II plans to canonise nine new saints in the months to come, including the Italian monk Padre Pio and the Spanish-born founder of Opus Dei, Josémaria Escriva.
Padre Pio, famous for bearing the stigmata, the wounds of Christ's crucifixion, will be canonised in Italy on June 16th. Monsignor Escriva will be canonised on October 6th.
Pope John Paul, who has canonised more saints than any of his predecessors, will canonise the first five of the new saints at a ceremony in the Vatican on May 19th.
They include a married Italian nun who joined the Ursuline sisters in 1818, Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello. According to her biography, she had led a normal married life for two years before entering a convent. Her husband Giovanni also joined a religious order.
The Pope will also canonise: an 18th-century Italian priest, Ignazio da Santhia; a 17th-century Franciscan friar, Blessed Umile da Bisignano; a 16th-century Spanish mystic, Alonso de Orozco; and a Brazilian nun, Amabile Visintainer.
Padre Pio's canonisation, just two years after his beatification, is among the most rapid in the history of the church. He has a wide following worldwide but particularly in Italy, where he was treated as a saint by millions during his lifetime.
Monsignor Escriva founded Opus Dei in Spain in 1928. The conservative organisation now has an estimated worldwide membership of 80,000, mostly lay professionals.
The Vatican also announced yesterday that the Pope will visit Mexico and Guatemala to canonise an Aztec Indian and a priest as part of a marathon trip in late July and early August which begins in Canada.
The Pontiff, who will soon turn 82, will make a two-day visit to Mexico from July 29th to canonise Juan Diego, a 16th-century Aztec Indian.
He will then travel to Guatemala from July 31st to August 1st to canonise Pedro de Betancur, a 17th-century priest.
The trip will begin with an already publicised three-day visit to Canada beginning on July 25th where he will participate in ceremonies marking World Youth Day. The strict timetable contained in the Vatican's official statement appeared to leave no room for a much-rumoured stop in New York to enable the Pope to visit the World Trade Centre and the site of the September 11th attacks. - (AFP)
Patsy McGarry adds: Opus Dei first came to Ireland in October 1947. Its first Irish vocation here was Cormac Burke from Sligo town, who is now a priest in Kenya.
One of the group's first ventures in Ireland was the setting up of the Nullamore University residence at Dartry in Dublin. It opened in 1954. Since then it has opened centres in Galway, Limerick, Navan, and Tuam.
Monsignor Escriva was said to have a great love for Ireland and used to recall how as a boy in 1916 he prayed for the Irish people when he read about the Easter Rising. He visited the country once, in 1959, when he spent a few days in Dublin and Galway.