Charlene Richard, ‘Little Cajun Saint’, to be Considered for Sainthood

The Diocese of Lafayette has announced that they intend to submit Charlene Richard's name to be considered for sainthood.

According to Wikipedia, Charlene Richard (known locally as The Little Cajun Saint) was only 12 when she was diagnosed with cancer.  A priest told her that she was going to die, but she remained chipper, offering her suffering up to God.  The Acadia Parish native even prayed for others, asking God to relieve them of their sickness and convert them to Catholicism.  According to that priest and a nun, those people that Charlene prayed for were healed and/or converted, as asked.

In the past, especially before mid-twentieth century, a saint's cult (i.e., a large following of people who share a devotion to a person believed to have special powers of intercession) often formed slowly, spreading from person to person by word of mouth for more than a century. In the case of Charlene, not only has the cult formed quickly, but many people who knew Charlene as an ordinary child are still living. - Folklife in Louisiana

The Diocese plans to submit the names of two other individuals to be considered for sainthood: Auguste “Nonco” Pelafigue of St. Landry Parish, and Lieutenant Father J Verbis Lefleur of Evangeline Parish, a WWII hero.

Submitting the names for consideration is the very first step in an extensive process towards beatification, canonization, and ultimately (hopefully) sainthood.

The press conference is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, 2020, at 10 AM and will be streamed live on the Diocese of Lafayette's Facebook Page.