BALTIMORE — Sister Rita Michelle Proctor was taught by the Oblate Sisters of Providence from grades three to 10. The sisters’ hospitality and trust in Divine Providence inspired her to enter their Baltimore-based order.
After 53 years of love and service for the Lord in the Oblate community, the current superior general of her religious community participated at St. Ann Church in Baltimore in a Nov. 1 procession of six candidates for canonization.
She held a portrait of the community’s foundress – and one of those sainthood candidates: Mother Mary Lange, who has the title “Servant of God.”
Five other members of the African American Catholic community processed to the altar holding portraits of the other prominent Black Catholics they hope will be canonized.
They are Sister Thea Bowman, the first African American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and Julia Greeley, known as the city of Denver’s “Angel of Charity” – both have the title Servant of God – as well as Mother Henriette Delille, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family, Father Augustus Tolton and Pierre Toussaint.
The latter three have the title “Venerable.” The title “Servant of God” is given by the Church to a sainthood candidate when his or her cause is officially opened. The first step in the process after that is the declaration of a person’s heroic virtues, after which the Church bestows the title “Venerable.” The second step is beatification, after which he or she is called “Blessed.”
The third step is canonization. In general, for beatification one miracle needs to be accepted by the Church as having occurred
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