Letter from Fr Andrew Urbanski SDS, Superior General of the Salvatorians

Dear Members of the Salvatorian Family,

I have immense joy and privilege to send you wonderful news. Today (14/01/2011) the Holy Father Benedict XVI authorized the Congregation for Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree of heroicity of virtues for our Beloved Founder.  

After many years of his beatification process, the Church has officially announced that our Founder lived a holy life. The conclusion of the whole process will be when a decree on a miracle attributed to the intercession of our Founder will be published.  Now the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will study a case of healing through the intercession of our Founder which we have submitted.

I am convinced that this news brings you great joy, encouragement, and happiness. Today also the Holy Father approved a miracle through the intercession of the Servant of God, John Paul II, and his beatification becomes reality. What a wonderful coincidence!!!   I invite you and ask you wholeheartedly to intensify your prayers for the beatification of our Founder, which is so much desired by all of you. The promulgation of the heroicity of virtues of our Founder is a special occasion to thank God for this grace in your communities. As the Generalate we will also organize a thanksgiving celebration and we will invite Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, for this celebration. This great news is for me also an occasion to thank you for your prayers and for spreading of the veneration of our Founder; I also thank all who worked in the postulation office, both now and in the past.

We are spiritual sons and daughters of our Venerable Founder. Today his heroicity of virtues was officially acknowledged by the Church. It is great news for all of us but it is also a great challenge to follow Him in the way of holiness.  Let me conclude this great news with some of his words to us: “I repeat once more that you should become holy, because it is my task to care for you and because I love you and because I am ready to die for all. It is, therefore, my most heart felt wish, that you become holy. And if you have not yet begun, then begin this very day still!!”

Your brother in our Divine Savior,
Superior General
Fr. Andrew Urbanski, SDS