VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – The Catholic clergy
here is hopeful that the country is on the road to have its third saint and he
would come from this northern city.
Msgr. Vicente Avila, parish priest of the St.
Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, announced that the long process for the
canonization of the late Bishop Alfredo Versoza starts today.
The first step in the process includes the
celebration of a Mass at the cathedral to be attended by the country’s
cardinals, bishops, various religious groups and lay leaders.
A delegation from Batangas where Versoza
served as bishop of Lipa is expected to join the Mass.
In 1946, rose petals fell before Versoza
while he was at the garden of the Carmelite monastery in Lipa which he
considered as a miracle, church records show.
The late bishop hailed from Vigan and
belonged to the land-owning Versoza clan.
City Councilor Benjo Versoza, a relative of
the bishop, said his family earlier had petitioned the Holy See to look into
the Lipa church leader’s deeds and assess if he could be canonized.
He said his family realizes that it takes a
long time for the Vatican to evaluate would-be saints, adding though that they
are happy to see the process start.
Enlarged photos of Bishop Versoza are posted
along the highway leading to this city, announcing the Church move for his
sainthood.
If canonized, Versoza would join Filipino
saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod, who were both lay workers.
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