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The cause for the canonization of Maryknoll co-founder Bishop James A. Walsh was officially opened during a swearing-in ceremony in the Archbishop’s offices at the New York Catholic Center in Manhattan Nov. 9.
Msgr. Douglas Mathers, vice chancellor of the archdiocese and episcopal delegate of the cause, officiated at the ceremony opening the tribunal. Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Sullivan, vicar general of the archdiocese, was present representing Archbishop Dolan. All the official witnesses swore oaths on a Bible to discharge their respective obligations with integrity and honesty.
Having received approval from the Vatican to begin, the process is now in place to pursue the cause of Bishop Walsh, who, along with Father Thomas Frederick Price, founded the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, known more commonly as Maryknoll, in 1911. The cause of Father Price is also pending in Raleigh, N.C., his home state. The two causes will proceed along separate but parallel tracks.
“I’m just happy it took place this year. I think it’s providential in a lot of ways,” said Father Edward M. Dougherty, superior general of the Maryknoll Society, who participated in the ceremony.
“Bishop Sullivan touched on it in the sense of this happening during (Maryknoll’s) centennial year and that would be my feeling,” Father Dougherty said. “In every talk I give I’m referring back to Father Walsh or Father Price. These were people who had a dream for the United States Church and put it into practice. Out of it grew a tremendous missionary dream called Maryknoll.”
The tribunal now begins the task of obtaining formal witness testimony. Since few people now living actually met Bishop Walsh, most evidence will be compiled from written records. Once the testimony and documentation has been collected at the diocesan level, it will be delivered to the Vatican for the second phase of the process. There the documents will again be examined and further documentation, including any possible testimony of miraculous intervention, will be collected.
Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, a Rome-based attorney specializing in the causes of beatification and canonization, will be the postulator for the cause. Sworn in as witnesses were Msgr. Mathers; Father Richard Welch, C.Ss.R., promoter of justice; Marie Ray, Maryknoll staff, actual notary; Maureen Foster, Maryknoll staff, adjunct notary; Holly Brown, Maryknoll staff, copyist; Father Michael P. Walsh, M.M., Alan B. Delozier, and Paul F. Gibbons as members of the historical commission, and Patrick Hayes and Father Francis O’Malley as members of the theological commission.
The historians will gather and authenticate documentation on the life, work and faith of Bishop Walsh while the theologians will examine the papers and verify the moral and faithful integrity of the pioneer missionary.
