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December 2008

PASSING OF MSGR. MICHAEL P. MINEHAN – CAUSE LEADER The sudden death of Msgr. Michael P. Minehan came as a shock to many who loved and admired the former chancellor and parish priest of the Syracuse Diocese.  On November 26th, he succumbed to a brief illness in a Syracuse hospital.  He was born on St. Patrick’s Day in 1953 and was 55 years of age when he died.  A Mass of Christian burial took place December 1st at his home parish, St. Paul’s in Binghamton. The Catholic Sun: Photo by Paul Finch

Connie Berry, editor of The Catholic Sun wrote of our Cause connection with our deceased friend:  “Ironically, Father Minehan was able to be both a lawyer and a priest, as he served as a canon lawyer who helped to promote the cause of the diocese’s Blessed Mother Marianne Cope, a Sister of St. Francis who served the lepers in Hawaii.”

Indeed, he did help direct and promote the first miracle case for the Cause which passed muster in 2004.  He served as Episcopal Delegate handling all the details that had to be arranged for the case to be sent on to the Vatican.  What is little known is that since the time of the Beatification of Mother Marianne in 2005, Monsignor Minehan has kept an active interest in her Cause and examined accounts of any incoming potential miracles for their authenticity.

Bishop Moynihan spoke poignantly of his loss and untimely death at the funeral service and said that now we can pray for Father Mike, and pray to him.

All of us who work personally on cases miss him and know that he will be actively helping us from his new vantage point.  However, his earthly presence, wisdom and sense of humor cannot be replaced.

FROM OUR FILES REGARDING LEADERSHIP OF MSGR. MINEHAN FOR THE BEATIFICATION MIRACLE:

Rev. Msgr. Minehan, Chancellor and Episcopal Delegate, is pictured with other workers on the case of Kate Mahoney at the closing of the inquiry work, which documentation was forwarded to the Vatican in 2001. In January 2004 the Vatican Medical Board ruled unanimously in its favor 5-0.  In July 2004 Vatican theologians affirmed the case as miraculous unanimously 9-0. In December Pope John Paul affirmed the miracle preparing the way for the Beatification of Mother Marianne which took place on May 14, 2005, the first under the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

2001 Tribunal closing for miracle case for beatification.  Top row, left to right:  Msgr. Minehan,
Episcopal Delegate; Sr. Mary Laurence Hanley, records collector;  Fr. Timothy Elmer, Promoter of Justice;
Richard L. Hehir, Medical Expert;  Fr. Joseph Zareski, Notary.

bottom row: Kate Anderson, Adjunct Notary;  The Most Rev. James M. Moynihan, Bishop of
Syracuse; Sr. Marion Kikukawa, Vice Postulator.

  Photo by The Catholic Sun.

See: See article in the Cortland Standard

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Father Andre' Cirino asks for supplies each year to carry with him on pilgrimages in Europe. We asked him to give a short account of his devotion to Blessed Marianne and his work for her Cause and we received this description:  “After the beatification of Mother Marianne Cope, I was given a small bag of the earth from her grave in Kalaupapa, Molokai’i. I have had devotion to Blessed Marianne since my first visit to Kalaupapa in June 1998. When I first arrived at her grave, I was immediately struck by the connection of this holy woman of Kalaupapa to the holy man of Assisi, St. Francis, whose conversion was aided by his work among the lepers living outside the city of Assisi.” “During the pilgrimages I am privileged to direct to Assisi each year for Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, I bring our pilgrims outside the city walls to a simple, humble combination of 13th century sanctuaries—San Rufino D’Arce and La Maddalena. Only the chapels remain from that time. It is believed that San Rufino was for the male lepers and La Maddalena for the female lepers."

"I brought the bag of earth from Blessed Marianne’s grave to these sanctuaries and buried the contents at the base of a shrine to our Blessed Mother. When I bring the pilgrims to this site, I tell the story of Blessed Marianne and give them a small prayer card for her intercession and her canonization. And whenever I can, I include her—with Francis and Clare—in the Eucharistic Prayer.”

[Father Andre' Cirino, OFM. Is an author, pilgrimage leader and scholar who currently works as a lecturere at the Franciscan International Study Centre in Canterbury, England. Since 1984, he has conducted pilgrimages to Italy, the Czech Republic, England, Spain, France, Germany and the California Missions].

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