On October 20, Pope Francis canonized 14 new saints during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, emphasizing that “service is the Christian way of life.”
Among those canonized were 11 martyrs from Syria, including eight Franciscan friars and three Maronite laymen who were killed in Damascus in 1860 for refusing to renounce their faith. “These new saints lived Jesusā way: service,” the pope said.
The new saints also include St. Marie-LĆ©onie Paradis, a Canadian nun who founded the Little Sisters of the Holy Family. Pope Francis explained “the faith and the apostolate they carried out did not feed their worldly desires and hunger for power but made them servants of their brothers and sisters.”
Italian priest St. Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, was also canonized. Reflecting on their lives, the pope said, “when we learn to serve, our every gesture of attention and care becomes a reflection of Godās love.”
St. Elena Guerra, founder of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit and known as an “apostle of the Holy Spirit,” was among those. Pope Francis encouraged the faithful, saying, “those who follow Christ, if they wish to be great, must serve by learning from him.”
Concluding his address, he asked we pray for “their intercession so that we too can follow Christ, follow him in service and become witnesses of hope for the world.”
Editorial credit: Fabrizio Maffei / Shutterstock.com
