Share this @internewscast.com

DENVER (KDVR) Faith leaders in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, are asking the Catholic church to consider recognizing local teen Kendrick Castillo as a saint.

Castillo, 18, gave his life to save others during the May 7, 2019, school shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch. One of the suspects reportedly arrived late to class and pulled out a gun while ordering the whole room not to move.

Castillo ignored that order, charging the gunman, which allowed the other students time to take cover and escape. He was shot and killed, and eight others were wounded. His actions have made him a community hero ever since.

  • A close-up of a picture of Kendrick Castillo and other items at the foot of a memorial site

In November, Douglas County honored the teen by naming a busy street after him. Now, the Diocese of Colorado Springs has received a petition from the St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch to open his cause for canonization. As of Aug. 1, no cause for Castillo’s canonization had been opened.

“I am very grateful for the time and effort that Father Gregory Bierbaum and Father Patrick DiLoreto of St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch have spent gathering evidence and conducting interviews to prepare for a petition to open the cause for canonization of Kendrick Castillo,” said Colorado Springs Bishop James Golka in a statement. “Although I have just begun to review the information submitted, it seems clear that Kendrick was an exceptional young man.”

The priests are starting to collect testimony through interviews and information gathering to determine whether Castillo’s life was one of “heroic virtue.”

This is not yet a petition to Rome for Castillo to be considered a saint. If Bishop James Golka and the Diocese of Colorado Springs approve of the evidence collected for Castillo’s canonization, the petition will be forwarded to Rome.

Castillo had attended the Notre Dame School in Denver and served as Squire of the Knights of Columbus in a Denver council. His funeral was held at St. Mary Parish in Littleton.

What is the process of canonization?

There are three official steps to sainthood, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Candidates first become a “Venerable,” then “Blessed,” and finally “Saint.”

Venerable individuals are people who have died, but are recognized by the pope as “having lived a heroically virtuous life or offered their life.”

“To be beatified and recognized as a Blessed, one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession is required in addition to recognition of heroic virtue or offering of life,” the conference explains on its website. “Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification.”

However, the pope can waive these requirements, and the conference also noted that a miracle is not required before the martyrs’ beatification, but is required before canonization.

Canonization is a lengthy process that takes years or even centuries. Church leaders say that the process involves lots of prayer and discernment, as a large part of the process is determining whether the individual at hand has a faithful following, whether the faithful invoke the potential saint’s intercession, and whether miracles were granted through Castillo’s intercession.

“As we study and discern how to approach the massive undertaking of promoting a canonization cause, I ask all the faithful to keep Kendrick’s family in their prayers,” Golka said in his statement. “I also encourage everyone to privately invoke Kendrick’s intercession, praying especially for the youth in our diocese, that they emulate his example of fortitude and generosity.” 

On its Facebook page, St. Mark Catholic Church noted that Father Bierbaum was asking individuals to report any “out-of-the-ordinary fruits” from veneration of Castillo and said that the church members could ask for Castillo’s intercession in “any matter we think appropriate.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Frontier introduces exclusive early access to its ‘All-You-Can-Fly’ annual pass

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)— Frontier Airlines launched a limited-time early access to its…

‘Protesters at Capitol Denounce Trump Administration, Calling It Tyranny Instead of Liberty’

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — While Labor Day typically means a break from…

Masses gather nationwide to protest Trump and the wealthy

Thousands of people turned out in cities across the U.S. on Monday…

Over 1,100 Dead as Rescuers Struggle to Reach Afghan Earthquake Survivors

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 hit an isolated mountainous region…

Rudy Giuliani Discharged from Hospital Following Car Accident Injuries in New Hampshire

Rudy Giuliani has been discharged from the hospital and is “progressing well”…

Fresh perspective on 'woke' assessment confronting new Oklahoma teachers

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) Some teachers from New York and California aiming…

Rubio to Focus on Tariffs, Immigration, and Cartels During Mexico and Ecuador Visit This Week

MEXICO CITY – Key topics such as security, sovereignty, tariffs, trade, drugs,…

Naomi Osaka Triumphs Over Coco Gauff in 2019 U.S. Open Rematch

Naomi Osaka dominated Coco Gauff with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory at…

Nicholas Braun from ‘Succession’ Arrested for DUI in New Hampshire

“Succession” actor Nicholas Braun was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence…

Two People Discovered Deceased Following San Antonio Flooding

A man and woman who were said to be friends were found…

US Executes Deadly Strike on ‘Drug Vessel’ in Caribbean: Rubio

The U.S. military executed a deadly strike on a vessel, reportedly transporting…

The Missing Hiker’s Remains Discovered in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains

() A Minnesota man was found dead in Wyoming nearly a month…