News That Became History

A Positio

Os amigos e devotos da Irmã Benigna podem comemorar mais um marco importante na caminhada pela Beatificação da Serva de Deus: a Positio, volume com toda a documentação coletada para o processo, foi impressa!

A próxima etapa será a análise e aprovação deste volume por um grupo de teólogos, bispos e cardeais. Depois chegará ao Papa, que dará a última palavra. Somente Sua Santidade, o Papa Francisco, decretará as virtudes heroicas da Serva de Deus e ela será declarada Venerável. Será declarada Bem Aventurada, ou Beatificada, quando for comprovado o primeiro milagre, ou seja, quando uma pessoa for curada pela sua intercessão - cura sem explicação médica. E, por último, será declarada oficialmente Santa, quando for comprovado o segundo milagre de cura através da sua intercessão. Todo o processo referente aos milagres é realizado em sigilo.

Em 15 de outubro de 2011, o Processo de Beatificação foi aberto, em Belo Horizonte, a pedido do povo que já a aclamava como Santa da Hora, Santa da Fartura e Santa da Salve Rainha. Irmã Benigna recebeu o título de Serva de Deus, quando a Congregação para as Causas dos Santos aprovou o pedido de abertura do seu Processo de Beatificação, que tem como autores a Associação dos Amigos da Irmã Benigna – Amaiben e a Congregação das Irmãs Auxiliares de Nossa Senhora da Piedade – Ciansp. A primeira fase do processo, chamada Diocesana, foi realizada na Arquidiocese de Belo Horizonte e consistiu na coleta de testemunhos e documentos que comprovam a vida, as virtudes e a fama de santidade da Serva de Deus. Esta fase foi encerrada em 26 de janeiro de 2013, numa cerimônia presidida pelo Arcebispo Dom Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo (atual Presidente da Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil), que selou todo o processo, entregando-o ao Postulador, Dottore Paolo Vilotta, encarregado de levá-lo ao Vaticano. Em abril de 2013, com a abertura dos documentos na Congregação para as Causas dos Santos, deu-se início à fase Romana, que agora dá mais um passo, com a impressão da Positio.

Transfer of the Novena to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Conception of the Poor – 11/30/2011

Due to the opening of the Process of Beatification and the exhumation of the remains of the Servant of God, Dom Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Belo Horizonte decreed the transfer of the Novena of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii and the Holy Mass (in honor of Sister Benigna), to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Conception of the Poor. Those prayers happened beside Sister Benigna’s grave, for over 30 years, on Bonfim Cemetery, ever since the Servant of God passed away. At first, it was only the Novena and then, some years afterwards, the Holy Mass started to happen too. From January 30, 2012 on, the Holy Mass and the prayers happen on the Sanctuary Our Lady of Conception of the Poor, on the same day and timetable. The copy of the decree of transfer is shown below:

Transfer of Saturday’s prayers to the Novitiate – 04/08/2012

Due to the first transfer of the Servant of God’s relics to the Novitiate of Our Lady of Pity (BH) – currently called “Novitiate Our Lady of Pity”, the prayers of the Group Our Lady Mystique, which usually took place on Saturdays, at the Chapel King Christ, including the prayer of Twenty Rosaries, were transferred to a Chapel located inside the Novitiate. The Eucharistic Celebration of the Easter Sunday, on April 8th, 2012, determined the beginning of the Prayers at this location. Below, is the Invitation sent by Amaiben to the devotees.

Sister Benigna is honored by the City Council of Belo Horizonte – 08/02/2012

On August 2nd, 2012, the City Council of Belo Horizonte honored Sister Benigna by awarding her with the Honorary Diploma, which was received by Mrs. Maria do Carmo Mariano, Amaiben’s President and Sister Benigna’s representative. The nomination came from from the councilor Bruno Miranda. The ceremony took place at the city floor’s plenary, in a solemn aspect, filled with the presence of many friends and devotees.

The Vatican confirms the receipt of the documentation for the Roman Phase – 02/01/2013

On 02/01/2013. The Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, sent to Amaiben a letter confirming the receipt of the documents gathered during the Diocesan Phase of the Process of Beatification of Sister Benigna, The box containing these documents was sealed in a ceremony that took place in the Church of Santa Teresa and Santa Terezinha, on January 26th, 2013 and was delivered to the Cause Postulator, in charge of taking the box to the Vatican.

Opening of the documentation of the Diocesan Phase, by the Vatican, and the beginning of the Roman Phase – 04/15/2013

In April 15th, 2013, in Rome, the Chancellor of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Monsignor Giacomo Pappalardo, opened the box with the documents of the Diocesan Phase of the Process, taken to the Vatican by the Postulator, Doctor Paolo Vilotta. From this moment forward, started the Roman Phase of the Process of Beatification of Sister Benigna.

Letter from the Vatican to Amaiben – 01-21-2014

From the beginning of Pope Francis’ pontificate, it was noticeable, by Sister Benigna’s friends and devotees, a similarity in the way of acting and being between the Servant of God, and the Holy Pope. At the XXVIII World Journey of the Youth, that happened in 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, it was delivered to him, through Cardinal Dom Raymundo Damasceno, all three books about the Servant of God, and the CD “Sister Benigna’s Memories”, so he could learn a little of her story. In appreciation of the gesture, the Vatican sent a letter to the President of the Association of Friends of Sister Benigna – Amaiben, Mrs. Maria do Carmo Mariano, signed by the Advisor Monsignor Peter B. Wells, on behalf of the Holy Pope. The letter can be read below:

Nomination of the Rapporteur of the Positio – 06/27/2014

The Beatification Process of Sister Benigna is currently in The Roman Phase, in the Vatican, started in April 2013, after the receipt of the documentation gathered in its previous phase (Diocesan Phase – which was done at the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte). After the verification of all the documentation (Legal Validation), on June 27th, 2014, the Very Reverend Maurizio Tagliaferri was appointed as the Rapporteur of The Positio. This Positio is a dossier that summarizes all the proof of Sister Benigna’s life of virtues. This work is accompanied by the Rapporteur along with the Cause Postulator. Below, is shown a official copy of the nomination of the Rapporteur, issued by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints:

The Legislative Assembly honors the President of Amaiben – 09/18/2014

On September 18th, 2014, the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais honored Mrs. Maria do Carmo Mariano, for her life dedication to those in need, following the example of Sister Benigna, e for her services provided as the President of Amaiben. This tribute was an initiative of Mrs. Irma Isabel de Moura and with the state representative Paulo Lamac.

"To build a better world, love and respect to others are non-negotiable imperatives. By believing in that, Mrs. Maria do Carmo de Souza Figueiredo Mariano has been, for decades, dedicating her life fighting for the least privileged. With an important allied, the faith, the President of the Association of Friends of Sister Benigna, doesn’t let herself by intimidated when the goal is the social well-being and the continuity of the fruitful work of Sister Benigna, her great mentor.

By acknowledging the life example of Mrs. Maria do Carmo de Souza Figueredo Mariano and the nobility of her actions, the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais pays tribute to her.

Belo Horizonte, September 18th, 2014.

State Representative Dinis Pinheiro

President"

Cause of Sister Benigna on the website of the Process Postulator, Dr Paolo Vilota:

The Postulator of Sister Benigna’s Beatification Cause, Dr. Paolo Vilota, ever since the opening of the Process, display on his website information about Sister Benigna’s Cause. The website address is the following: