1. Cause for McGivney Opens, Dec. 18, 1997
Father McGivney’s Cause for Sainthood officially opened in Hartford by Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin. Father McGivney is given the title “Servant of God.”
2. Diocesan Review, Completed March 6, 2000
Closing of the diocesan investigation into Father McGivney’s life, holiness, and virtues.
3. Positio Submitted to Rome, Summer 2002
A 1,000-page document (known as a Positio) laying out the case for Father McGivney’s cause is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.
4. John Paul II Commends KoC and Founder, October 2003
In a message to the Knights of Columbus, St. John Paul II praised the Order and its founder: “In fidelity to the vision of Father McGivney, may you continue to seek new ways of being a leaven of the Gospel in the world and a spiritual force for the renewal of the Church in holiness, unity, and truth.”
5. Biography Published, July 2006
Parish Priest: Father McGivney and American Catholicism, a biography by historians Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, is published by William Morrow/Harper Collins.
6. Declared Venerable, March 15, 2008
Confirming Father McGivney’s heroic virtues, Pope Benedict XVI declared him a “Venerable Servant of God.” The decree states, in part, “Concerning the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love both toward God and neighbor … they existed to a heroic degree in the Servant of God Michael McGivney, Diocesan Priest and Founder of the Fraternal Order the Knights of Columbus.”
7. Pope Benedict XVI Cites ‘Exemplary American Priest’, April 2008
During his visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Pope Benedict XVI cited the “remarkable accomplishment of that exemplary American priest, the Venerable Michael McGivney, whose vision and zeal led to the establishment of the Knights of Columbus.”
8. Miracle Investigated, September 2017
Results of an investigation into a possible miracle attributed to the intercession of Father McGivney is sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
9. Pope Francis Praises Father McGivney’s Vision, February 2020
Pope Francis tells the KofC Board of Directors that the Order has been faithful “to the vision of your founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, who was inspired by the principles of Christian charity and fraternity to assist those most in need.” Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori presents Pope Francis with a copy of Parish Priest in Italian.
10. Miracle Approved for Beatification, May 27, 2020
After extensive medical and theological reviews, the Holy See announced that Pope Francis authorized a decree regarding the miracle attributed to the intercession of Father McGivney, opening the way for his beatification.
11. Beatification, October 31, 2020
Father Michael McGivney is beatified at a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut on October 31. The main celebrant of the Mass was Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, archbishop of Newark. He served as the representative of Pope Francis and read aloud a letter from the pontiff that officially declared Father McGivney beatified.
