Taft parish prays for canonization of Blessed Jose Sanchez Del Rio

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Father Jesus Francisco Lopez blesses portrait and relic of Blessed Jose Sanchez Del Rio.

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On Sunday, Feb. 8, Father Jesus Francisco Lopez of Immaculate Conception Parish in Taft celebrated a Mass in memory of Blessed Jose Sanchez Del Rio. The Mass included a procession with a first class relic of Blessed Jose that is encased at the parish.

Members of the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas and Guadalupano Society, along with parishioners and invited guests, joined in prayer and celebration with the faithful. They prayed to God that, if it is his will, Blessed Jose would soon be counted among his saints.

All of the information needed by the Vatican regarding the required miracle performed by God through Blessed Jose has been acquired. The miracle, which will be sent to Rome, is the case of a newborn infant girl born on Sept. 8, 2008, which from birth was in a serious state of health that doctors had given the family no hope of recovery. Devotees of the child martyr Blessed Jose, whose intercession before God they sought joined the family of the infant in supplications to God.

The girl was miraculously cured and is now six years old and living a normal life. The case will be sent to the Holy See in Rome for their analysis and final approval for canonization.