MORE SAINTS FOR USA

Ever wonder why there so many Italian saints? Could it be because they lived so close to the heart of the Church- the Vatican?  But now our own young country may have more saints added to the long list. We certainly have many being considered.

The nation’s first-of-its-kind Center for Sainthood Studies is being established at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, California. This groundbreaking initiative aims to provide a roadmap for advancing candidates for canonization and increasing the chances of American candidates achieving sainthood.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone officially approved the initiative in an April 14 decree, emphasizing the key goal as “fostering a deeper understanding of the processes involved in recognizing the holiness of individuals and their potential for sainthood.”

The Center will offer a range of resources, including relics and archival materials, networking opportunities, and a critical six-day course. The first course, will be held from February 16-21, 2026, at the Vallombrosa Retreat Center in Menlo Park.

It will be led by postulators and canon law experts Dr. Emanuele Spedicato, Doctor in Canon Law, Rotal Advocate, Associate Professor at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and Consultant at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Postulator for Causes of Canonization.  

 Dr. Waldery Hilgeman from Rome, Doctor in Canon and Civil Law, is Judge at the Utrecht Tribunal and Postulator for Causes of Canonization. He is a Consultant for religious institutes and ecclesial movements and regularly conducts academic seminars and workshops on canon law.

Participants in the course will earn an official certificate upon completion. The program is open to clergy, religious, and laity interested in understanding the theological and historical context behind the sainthood process, as well as gaining practical skills in navigating the diocesan canonical procedures.

The certificate program will enable one to effectively begin a cause for canonization leading through the Diocesan phase of the canonization process. The official certificate from the Center for Sainthood Studies is endorsed by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, providing participants with networking opportunities to connect with scholars, postulators, and other experienced professionals in Sainthood Causes.