Pope Francis to Canonize 10 New Saints, Including Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Pope Francis to Canonize 10 New Saints in Vatican Ceremony

After a long pause due to the pandemic, Pope Francis is set to celebrate a Mass on May 15 for the canonization of 10 new saints, including five from Italy, three from France, one from India, and one from the Netherlands. Among the notable figures to be recognized are Blessed Charles de Foucauld, a hermit who lived in North Africa, and Blessed Titus Brandsma, a Dutch Carmelite martyred at the Dachau concentration camp.

The upcoming canonization ceremony will bring the total number of saints recognized by Pope Francis during his pontificate to 909, including the 813 “Martyrs of Otranto” declared saints in 2013. The Congregation for Saints’ Causes has published brief biographies of each new saint and details of the miracles attributed to their intercession for their canonizations.

One of the new saints, Blessed Charles de Foucauld, was born in France in 1858 and lived an austere life as a hermit in North Africa before being killed by marauders in 1916. The miracle attributed to his intercession involved a carpenter’s apprentice who survived a 50-foot fall without suffering any long-term effects.

Another new saint, Blessed Titus Brandsma, was a Dutch Carmelite who defended Jews during World War II and was killed at Dachau in 1942. The miracle accepted for his canonization involved the complete healing of a priest diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma after praying to Blessed Titus.

The canonization ceremony on May 15 will honor the lives and legacies of these 10 new saints, who have inspired countless individuals around the world with their faith and devotion to serving others.