Because of restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, work on Father Vincent’s Cause in Rome has significantly slowed. The next major step is for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to convene a meeting of the Theological Consultants to review the Positio (the formal position of Father Vincent’s life works).
Hopefully, the result of this meeting will be a recommendation to the Holy Father to approve a finding of Heroic Virtue and bestow the title of “Venerable Servant of God” on Father Vincent.
As processes in Rome start to thaw, it is time for the Guild to look forward. If Father’s Cause is found worthy by the Holy Father, the next steps will be to establish a final resting place for Father’s earthly remains. The location will be selected by Archbishop Broglio, and the Guild are working closely with him.
The Board of Directors have engaged an architecture firm to provide a detailed study focused on three areas that will include rough order-of-magnitude total costs. There are many considerations, but the Board have focused on function, size, and cost.
- Function: There are two principal functions – an area for prayerful reflection near Father’s remains and an area for display of the many artifacts that we have in our possession.
- Size: We need to comfortably accommodate a modest number of visitors for most of the year while allowing efficient expansion during special occasions – like the annual September Memorial Mass that the Archdiocese holds to remember Father’s death.
- Cost: We are going to keep this reasonable, but we intend to support a level of trim that establishes an appropriate atmosphere of reverence.
There is much to be done. At the right time, the Capodanno Guild will launch a focused campaign to keep Guild members informed of the progress, allow Guild members to contribute input, and request financial support.