Pope Benedict XVI Canonises Six New Saints

(October 16, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI is declaring six new saints for the Church at a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome on Sunday morning, October 17th. They are, Mary of the Cross MacKillop (Mary Helen), Australian foundress of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Andre Bessette (Alfred), Canadian professed religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola (Juana Josefa), Spanish founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus, Giulia Salzano, Italian foundress of the Congregation of Sisters Catechists of the Sacred Heart, Battista da Varano (Camilla), professed nun of the Order of Poor Clares and foundress of the monastery of St. Clare in the Italian town of Camerino and Stanislao Soltys, Polish professed religious of the Order of Canons Regular Lateranense. More than fifty thousand people are expected to present at the canonisation. There will be six thousand people from Poland, five thousand from Canada, five thousand from Spain, eight thousand from Australia, and ten thousand from Italy. Mr. Bronislaw Komorowski, the President of the Republic of Poland along with his wife, Mr Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs from Australia, Mr. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs from Canada, Mr. Juan Carlos Moreno Campo, Deputy Minister of Justice from Spain and Dr. Gianni Letta, Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Italy are the special dignitaries present representing their country.