We often report about the advancing causes of canonization of holy men and women -- from Our Lady of Champion seer Adele Brice to the upcoming beatification of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. But what is usually left untold in these stories is that every cause of sainthood has men and women working behind the scenes.
Amanda Zurface, postulator for the causes of Monsignor Joseph Buh and Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB, and Brian Caulfield, vice postulator for the cause of Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, both took the time to share about their roles in the canonization process and what they have gained from spending time with several of the many American women and men in the canonization process.
Witnesses to miracles
Caulfield recalls a moment in 2020 when the miraculous healing of a baby boy through the intercession of Fr. McGivney had been reviewed in Rome. He was awaiting a final approval by Pope Francis.
“I kept my cell phone on my nightstand and one morning around 6:00 a.m., the call came from the postulator in Rome (where it was noon) that the Pope had signed the decree. The miracle was approved and we could start to plan for the beatification ceremony. I called the Schachle family [the family of the boy who was healed] and could hear all their children cheering in the background. I would say that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but we pray to have a similar experience when a second miracle is approved for Father McGivney’s canonization.”
When Sr. Annella’s cause was opened and she was named a Servant of God, Zurface remembers that she was moved herself, but also struck by the devotion of others to the cause.
“There are people who have been devoted to the cause of Sister Annella far longer than I have, especially Patrick Norton, who has shared that Sister Annella appeared to him in 2010. Seeing him at the Opening Mass was deeply moving. He’s a powerful witness to what can happen when someone is open to God and willing to respond.”
Who works on canonization causes?
The moments when causes move forward are due in part to the hard work of postulators, gathering testimonies and evidence of holy men and women’s lives and even miracles (for more on the canonization process, see this article).
What are the requirements to work on a cause? Zurface refers us to Sanctorum Mater, the ecclesial document that outlines the canonization process and, specifically, states that to be a cause’s postulator, one must be “an expert in theology, canon law and history, as well as in the praxis of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.”
Zurface got involved in the cause of Sister Annella in 2020 when she was approached by a colleague. A canon lawyer who had served in the Diocese of Crookston where Sr. Annella had lived and died, she was uniquely poised to work on her cause. Zurface’s work on Sr. Annella’s cause laid the foundation for her work on Monsignor Buh’s, which she started in 2025 at the invitation of Bishop Felton of the Diocese of Duluth.
Caulfield, an experienced journalist, became involved in Fr. McGivney’s cause after 10 years working at the Knights of Columbus headquarters as the managing editor of their magazine, among other projects. With his familiarity with the Knights and a master’s degree in Catholic Dogma, Caulfield was prepared to take on the role of Vice Postulator to assist the Postulator in Rome.
Zurface notes that “there are many ways to be involved in a cause. Everyone has a role to play, and it is beautiful to see how different gifts come together to move a cause forward.”
The work that has to be done
Zurface describes the work of a postulator as a guide for the cause, from petitioning for the opening of the cause and keeping things moving throughout the diocesan phase. “This includes,” she says, “working closely with diocesan officials, identifying witnesses for testimony, gathering reports of favors, supporting the historical commission, and helping the episcopal delegate who oversees the tribunal.”
Caulfield began to work on McGivney’s cause after McGivney had been declared Venerable. So the matter at hand was to verify a first miracle. The phone call of Pope Francis’ approval that Caulfield described was the result of overseeing a case “of the miraculous healing of a child in utero” in Tennessee. There was a diocesan tribunal in Nashville that studied the case, and then it was studied by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, including medical and theological experts. After the Pope’s approval, Father McGivney was beatified during the pandemic in 2020.
The beatification came to fruition, in part, due to the tremendous efforts of Caulfield and his fellow vice postulators, Father Gabriel O’Donnell and Stephen Feiler. Today, he says, he continues to work with potential miracles through the intercession of Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney.
“I oversee the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild, and review all the favors submitted, looking into the ones that may be considered miraculous, calling the persons involved in the healing, getting medical records, interviewing priests and doctors and others with knowledge of the case. If needed, I travel for in-person meetings. We want to be sure of the facts and get preliminary medical opinions before bringing the case to the local bishop for consideration.”
Zurface’s causes are in earlier stages of canonization.
“Sr. Annella is a Servant of God, which means that they are still in the diocesan phase of seeking evidence to ‘present a fuller picture of her life’ that can eventually be sent to Rome. Monsignor Buh’s cause has not yet been formally opened. It is in the consultative stage, wherein Bishop Felton ‘has consulted regional bishops, is now inviting input from the faithful, has requested the nihil obstat from Rome, and will consult the USCCB at their June meeting.’”
People living ordinary lives in extraordinary ways
Both Caulfield and Zurface expressed what a positive and joyful experience working on causes has been for them. Caulfield comments on the fruits he has seen in his own life through his work:
“I have come to respect greatly the whole process of canonization within the Church, with a deeper appreciation of the role of canon law and specific regulations that protect the rigor and integrity of the Cause. My love for the Church, always found in the sacraments, has matured and expanded during my work.”
Zurface, too, talks about the privilege of working so closely with potential future saints.
“Every day, I get to shine light on what God is up to. I get to point and say, 'Look. This person lived an ordinary life in an extraordinary way.' And that is our call too, to live holiness right where we are.”
“Jesus lived 2,000 years ago, but through these causes, we encounter people who lived much more recently, sometimes in our own communities, who show us how to live the Christian life today.”
