In a joyful milestone for the church and lovers of sacred art, Pope Francis declared famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí venerable April 14, recognizing his heroic virtues in a decree announced during a Vatican audience with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro. Best known for designing Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, Gaudí dedicated over 40 years of his life to the masterpiece, now seen as both a symbol of faith and an icon of transcendent beauty.
Sister Lúcia dos Santos, who, with her cousins, reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary when she was a child in Fátima, Portugal, has received a decree of heroic virtues from Pope Francis, meaning she now has the title “venerable.”
Recognizing that she lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way, Pope Francis has declared venerable Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, founder of the first Catholic order of African American nuns.
