Ariane Fonseca
Canção Nova News.

That the beatification of Sister Dulce may be an appeal for us to seek holiness together!” this is the desire of the Archbishop of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, His Excellency Murilo Krieger, looking forward to the ceremony that will happen next Sunday the Park of Expositions of the Capital of Bahia State.

According to the prelate, the great preparation for the moment is spiritual, for the Archdiocese hopes that the beatification may be a “Kairos”, Greek work that signifies ‘time of the grace of God’. “All of us are involved, doing much work for the ceremony. But this moment passes, we want that what remains is the appeal to holiness” he declared.
Links
.: Special page on the beatification of Sister Dulce [Portuguese]
.:Learn more on the life and work of this religious woman [Portuguese]
Archbishop Murilo believes that Salvador won a privilege that few diocese of the country had to show that be holy in reality is possible. “During much time, it was thought that holiness was something that passed or that happens only in Europe. Now we have someone that lived in our city, attended real patients and the Church presents her as a model. A fragile woman, small and limited, but she succeeded because she did the will of God” complimented the Archbishop.

The official actions for the installation of the process of beatification and canonization of Sister Dulce were initiated in 1999 with the giving of the ‘Nihil Obstat’, document that the Holy See decreed there does not exist an impediment to the introduction of the cause.

In 2000, the opening of the Canonical Process was realized on her life, virtues and reputation of holiness. The grace obtained through the intercession of Sister Dulce, in 2003, was examined first in Brazil and recognized through medical experts as a case that could not be explained through the media of science. The merits and the Cardinals of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints were united in recognizing this miracle, consisting in treating it as a case of an extraordinary cure.

In April of 2009, her heroic virtues were recognized and she was declared Venerable by the Vatican. In June of 2010, her body was exhumed and transferred along with her relics, the last acts before beatification.

“Sister Dulce is an icon! Salvador is more than 460 years old and passed through her illustrious persons of politics and also celebrities. However, a humble religious woman, profoundly fragil physically, is presented as a model and this figure is emphasized.” stressed Archbishop Murilo.

This is the second time that the Archbishop of Salvador was present close to the road of holiness for a person. In 2002, the prelate participated in the ceremony of canonization of Holy Mother Paulina, an Italian woman who came to Brazil at nine years old and exercised her ministry of love among the sick, orphans and elderly in Santa Catarina [Southern Brazil] in the time he was the Archbishop of Florianopolis in Brazil.

“And as if God spoke to me: you are fragil, limited, but put at your side person that can show the strength of My grace’. I hope that this beatification of Sister Dulce will touch the heart of the faithful in order that they may turn to the poor. In addition to her witness of the love of the Father, the religious woman left a giant work that does not live without the collaboration of those that love the ‘Good Angel of Bahia” concluded Archbishop Murilo.
Novena de Irmã Dulce

Novena of Sister Dulce.

Already a Portuguese of a novena to Sister Dulce is available. The material is composed of nine prayer retreats that present the life of the religious woman as an example for whom may see and intimate encounter with God. According to the Archdiocese of Salvador, the novena should begin always on the 13th and end on the 21st of each month.

translated from Portuguese