Last March 27, 2010, during a private audience with Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Benedict  authorised the congregation to promulgate the following decrees that will elevate the following faithful to the rank of Blesseds and Saint in the official Canon of Saints.

MIRACLES

Recognized a miracle through the intercession of

• Blessed Bonifacia Rodriguez Castro (1837-1905), a Spanish religious, thereby fulfilling the prerequisites for her canonization.

Recognized miracles through the intercession of 5 candidates who will now be eligible for beatification:

• Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (1600- 1659), a Spanish bishop;
• Maria Barbara of the Blessed Trinity (1818- 1874), an Austrian religious
• Anna Maria Adorni (1805- 1893), an Italian religious;
• Mary of the Immaculate Conception (1926- 1998), a Spanish religious and
• Stephen Nehme (1889- 1938), a Lebanese Maronite monk.

MARTYRDOM

Recognized the martyrdom of three candidates, who are now eligible for beatification:

• Szilard Bogdanffy (1911- 1953), a Romanian bishop;
• Gerhard Hirschfelder (1907- 1942), a German priest and
• Luigi Grozde (1923- 1943), a Slovenian layman.

HEROIC VIRTUES

Recognized the “heroic virtue” of 7 candidates, who will now be cleared for beatification if a miracle is confirmed through their intercession:

• Francesco Antonio Marcucci (1717- 1798), an Ialian archbishop;
• Ivan Franjo Gnidovec (1873-1939), a Slovenian bishop;
• Luigi Novarese (1914-1984), an Italian priest;
• Henriette DeLille (1813-1862), an American religious;
• Maria Theresia Bonzel (1830-1905), a German religious;
• Maria Frances of the Cross Streitel (1844-1911), a German religious;
• and Maria Felicia of Sacramental Jesus Echevarria (1925-1959), a Paraguayan religious.