All Saints, all Catholics

We don’ strive to be saints, we strive to live the lives God wanted and if we do it right, sometimes we become saints. This was the stance of the 2011 class at St Francis Xavier national orientation seminary in Cape Town.
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Pilgrims hold a sign that reads, “santo subito” (“sainthood now”), during a vigil on the eve of the beatification of Pope John Paul II at the ancient Circus Maximus in Rome. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

The country’s future priests said that saints show signs of living in the presence of God, they live in communities, offer up their talents and change the lives of people around them.

But not everybody who answers the call to holiness will be canonised a saint, and that’s okay. These people don’t do it for the recognition, and that’s what makes them even more special, said one seminarian. There is far more to being a saint than being canonised.

Vatican IIs dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium calls on the faithful to use the strength given to them by Christ’s gift, so that [by] doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbour.

There are many examples of holiness around South Africa. Saints can come from anywhere, and today’s saints are quite different from the traditional saints of centuries gone by.

It seems that married women are rarely acknowledged by the Church as being capable of holiness, said Margaret Forsyth of St Charles parish in Victory Park, Johannesburg, but she has seen many examples of holiness in her life.

One saintly woman in her life is Val Halley-Wright of the Family of God Prayer Group in Victory Park.

She started the Family of God Charismatic Prayer Group 39 years ago, after reading about the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in America. Fog, as the prayer group is affectionately known, has and still does conduct Life in the Spirit Seminars in Victory Park and much further afield. Those who attend will testify to finding an intimate relationship with Jesus, a renewal of their Catholic faith and a desire to serve through ministry in their own parishes, said Ms Forsyth.

Mrs Halley-Wright was instrumental in starting Bethany Home for abused women and children, the Little Saints creche, promoting Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Johannesburg and initiating healing seminars to work with people with depression all that despite suffering ill health herself. Ms Forsyth said the octogenarian has always persisted with what she felt she was called to do, exhibiting the strong sense of vocation which many saintly people have encountered in their time.

She still continues to counsel people who have suffered bereavement, trauma or depression. She has been doing this as an act of love for Gods children and will not take any payment for her time, said Ms Forsyth who worked with Mrs Halley-Wright at one of her children’s outreach programmes.

South Africas uncanonised saints range from celebrity to the little-known. In a group discussion, the young seminarians suggested Archbishop Denis Hurley and even a couple of living bishops could qualify for sainthood. But there were plenty of other local suggestions.

Russell Williams from Port Elizabeth said the Catholic Women’s League was made up of holy women; Malusi Ngcobo from Durban said his parish priest had become far more than just a leader to him, but had really embraced the concept of father to him. Monwabisi Ntshudu from Johannesburg said there were sisters in local communities that had stood out for him, while Mlandi Nzama said there were many religious women who worked with the unemployed and helped create new opportunities for them. Malusi Ncanana from Eshowe said he regarded his grandmother as a saint because she donated land on which a community clinic was built.

The seminarians acknowledged that none of these people were likely to receive canonical recognition, and believed these people did not seek it.

They are overlooked, but they dont want to be recognised. They are saints to so many already and don’t need to be recognised officially they are already recognised in Gods eyes, said Sithembile Dlamini.

Fr Dikotsi Mofokeng of Bethlehem diocese in the Free State said there are many ways the Church recognises acts of holiness. Many of the faithful in his diocese have become recipients of The Order of the Star of Bethlehem, an award initiated by Bishop Emeritus Hubert Bucher that recognises lay people who have rendered outstanding service in the Church and in society.

Yena Khuboni of Umndeni Oyingcwele parish in Hammarsdale, Durban, believes anyone can be a saint. Saints display humility, live righteous lives, and show holiness, self-denial, sacrifice, constant repentance from sin, simplicity of life and do the will of God by showing love to God and one’s neighbour.

While Catholics pray to the saints and other holy people who have not been canonised for intercession, that’s not the only thing saints should be good at, Ms Khuboni said. I believe that on top of being an intercessor, a saint should also have the ability to draw people closer to God, to help them experience him in their lives and assist them to foster a solid relationship with the Lord, she said. It is because saints inspire others that they are vitally important in today’s world.

She too has seen many local examples of saintly acts and holy people. Of those who are still alive, she mentioned Durban’s archdiocesan youth chaplain Fr Thembelani Ngcobo, whom she described as our model with whom we draw strength to persevere in our own faith.

Fr Mofokeng said this strength of character is what makes these people especially holy. They displayed holiness in an amazing variety of circumstances, against human and historical backgrounds of fantastic diversity, and they did it with style, a verve, and an inimitable uniqueness so that each one remains a rich embodiment of what the Christian life is all about.

He added that the Church believes that the saints inspire us by their heroic lives, and help us by their constant prayers.

The St Francis Xavier seminarians said saints have to be gutsy and daring and stand up for what is right. Not everybody can do this, they said, but everybody can be inspired by their example. This determination to do God’s work is answering the call to holiness, something which everyone could be a part of.