The Vatican Press Office officially disclosed that on Feb. 26 an Ordinary Public Consistory will announce the canonization dates of Padre Pio, Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer and Juan Diego.

Escrivá (1902-1975) was the founder of Opus Dei; Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968) the famous Capuchin friar; and Juan Diego the Indian who saw the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531.

The consistory will also announce the official proclamation of the sanctity of the following blessed:

--Alonso de Orozco, priest of the Order of St. Augustine;

--Ignazio da Santhia (Lorenzo Maurizio Belvisotti), priest of the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor;

--Pedro de San Jose Betancur, religious of the Third Order of St. Francis, founder of the Bethlemite Brothers and Bethlemite Women Religious;

--Umile da Bisignano (Luca Antonio Pirozzo), religious of the Order of Friars Minor;

--Paulina do Coracao Agonizante de Jesus (Amabile Visintainer), founder of the Congregation of Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception;

--Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello, founder of the Institute of Benedictine Religious of Providence.

Zenit.org

Code: ZE02021905

Date: 2002-02-19