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The Catholic Church is seeing an increasing number of young people being considered for canonization -- individuals who only lived a short time on this earth but scaled the heights of holiness quickly.
Such was the case of Pedro Ballester, a university student from England who died in 2018 at the age of 21. While many of his peers were busy enjoying the college life, Pedro remained faithful to God and his Catholic faith.
At the moment, local Church officials in England are gathering information on Pedro's life and his impact, hoping to compile it all in order to officially open his cause for canonization.
Who was Pedro Ballester?
Born in Manchester, England, on May 22, 1996, Pedro grew up in a family deeply devoted to God. His parents are married members of Opus Dei, an organization founded by St. Josemaria Escriva that promotes holiness of life in the laity.
His father explained to Aleteia that Pedro had a keen interest in the Catholic faith since he was a boy:
He [received] his First Confession (we celebrated it by going to McDonald’s) and First Holy Communion with a lot of joy. He was an altar boy and happy to be one. He prayed the normal Morning Offering, Angelus, [and] three Hail Marys at night. He progressed in the faith and took it seriously according to his age.
This faith stayed with Pedro as he grew up and eventually joined Opus Dei as a numerary member in 2013. What this means is that Pedro "committed himself to a lifelong vocation to celibacy in the midst of the world."
After high school Pedro attended Imperial College London, where he began studying Chemical Engineering. Shortly after beginning studies in 2014, Pedro felt intense pain and was diagnosed with advanced cancer of the pelvis.
Yet, despite the pain he was in and the reality of constantly being in the hospital, Pedro went out of his way to maintain relationships and to be a beacon of joy in the hospital.
Jack Valero, Director of the Opus Dei Information Office in the United Kingdom, explained to Aleteia the efforts Pedro made in order to remain connected to his friends:
He was very faithful in his friendships with the people around him. He kept up friendships even when he moved from place to place. He had a deep interest in the people he was dealing with. For example, in the hospital he saw [there was] a football match on TV. He was not particularly interested in watching it, but went [in] his wheelchair to the other side of the hospital to watch the match with one of his friends, also being treated with cancer.
That deep interest in the person made them feel important and valued in their lives. When he was ill he wanted to see as many people as possible so as to bring them closer to God.
Furthermore, Valero related another story about Pedro that showcased the joy he had in the midst of suffering:
He was a very happy person even when he was in a lot of pain. People wanted to be in his room with him because he was so happy. Another cancer patient of his age (who died soon after Pedro) who had not been brought up with any faith would often go to Pedro’s room, even when Pedro was unconscious, because “Pedro gives me a lot of peace.”
When Pedro died this young man asked to be baptized Catholic because of Pedro’s happiness in suffering.
If local Church officials deem it prudent to open a cause for canonization, Pedro could eventually become the first Gen-Z saint in the Catholic Church.
