Vatican To Review Bishop Baraga’s Miracle

The Upper Peninsula’s ‘snowshoe priest’ may be about to take one step closer to sainthood in the Catholic Church.

A Diocese of Marquette committee investigated a possible miracle of Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga in 2011. It then went to the Vatican. The Medical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints meets at the Vatican Thursday of next week to review it.

Bishop Baraga Association associate director Len McKeen said that means they will be reviewing the miracle to see if there’s an absence of medical intervention…and if that is their conclusion…that would mean a very favorable outcome.

If the medical commission gives the OK, the Congregation’s theological commission will review the miracle, followed by the Congregation’s cardinal members.

After clearing those steps, the miracle would go to Pope Francis, who could then declare Venerable Bishop Baraga to be ‘blessed’.

For Bishop Baraga to be declared a saint, another miracle would have to happen after he’s declared ‘blessed’. The second miracle would then have to go through the same verification steps at the Vatican.