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The   cause   of   martyrs   such   as   John   Ogilvie   lay   dormant   for   many   years   until   revived   at   the   close   of   the 19 th    Century   and   a   process   of   investigating   extensive   historical   evidence   was   opened   by   the   Vatican, paving   the   way   for   the   beatification   of   this   man   from   Keith,   by   Pope   Pius   XI   in   1929.   Nothing   much happened   about   the   next   step   towards   him   being   proclaimed   a   Saint   until   in   the   early   1960s   the   Cause of   the   English   Martyrs,   or   at   least   40   of   them,   began   to   revive   with   the   appointment   of   an   energetic young    Jesuit,    Fr    Paolo    Molinari,    as    Postural    General    in    Rome.    With    his    investigations    came    the possibility   of   re-opening   the   Cause   of   Ogilvie.   Scots   Jesuits   Father   James   Quinn   and   Father   Thomas Reilly,   great   supporters   of   the   Ogilvie   cause,   were   appointed   to   form   a   National   Council   composed   of priests   to   investigate   what   devotion   existed   in   Scotland   to   John   Ogilvie,   and   armed   with   a   consignment of 300,000 medals the committee set about promoting prayers for his Canonisation. Of   course,   to   pave   the   way   for   sainthood   a   miracle   would   be   needed.   Father   Reilly   and   Father   John Fitzgibbon   ran   a   large   parish   in   Glasgow’s   Easterhouse   dedicated   to   Blessed   John   Ogilvie,   and   in   their congregation   was   a   docker   called   John   Fagan   who   in   1965   was   diagnosed   as   having   stomach   cancer.   An operation   removed   part   of   his   stomach   but   from   X-rays   afterwards   doctors   declared   they   had   done   all they   could.   The   cancer   cells   remained   and,   they   said,   the   tumour   would   return,   which   it   did   seven months later. It   was   decided   that   surgery   would   kill   him.   His   wife   Mary   was   told:   “There   is   nothing   more   we   can   do   for your   husband.   Take   him   home   and   be   good   to   him.”   His   GP   noted   how   the   mass   in   his   patient’s   abdomen was    growing    ever    bigger.    Mr    Fagan    was    in    continuous    pain.    In    January,    1967,    Father    Fitzgibbon administered   the   Last   Rites   and   he   gave   a   medal   of   Blessed   John   Ogilvie   to   Mrs   Fagan,   suggesting   she pin it to her husband’s pyjamas. Parishioners prayed to Blessed John for him. In   March,   John   Fagan   was   said   to   be   hours   away   from   death   and   the   GP   declared   there   was   nothing more   he   could   do.   He   expected   to   return   the   next   day   to   sign   the   death   certificate.   The   Legion   of   Mary and   neighbours   joined   the   Fagan   family   at   the   bedside   to   pray.   After   they   had   gone,   Mrs   Fagan   kept   a quiet   vigil   as   John   slipped   in   and   out   of   consciousness.   At   six   in   the   morning   she   woke   and   felt   the room   cold.   She   checked   her   husband’s   pulse   and   heartbeat,   there   was   neither.   She   slumped   in   her chair, heads in her hands, and dozed off. She was woken by a voice declaring “Mary, I’m hungry” . It   took   five   years   of   intensive   medical   investigations,   checking   of   all   hospital   and   medical   records,   and examinations   by   the   Church   in   Scotland   and   in   Rome   before   it   was   officially   confirmed   that   there   was no natural explanation for John Fagan’s recovery. In   October,   1975,   the   Congregation   of   Cardinals   in   Rome   accepted   that   a   miracle   had   taken   place   and   in May, 1976, approval came for the Blessed John Ogilvie to be made a Saint.
St. John Ogilvie
Path to Sainthood - Part Two
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© Lorem ipsum dolor sit Nulla in mollit pariatur in, est ut dolor eu eiusmod lorem 2013
The   cause   of   martyrs   such   as   John   Ogilvie   lay   dormant   for many   years   until   revived   at   the   close   of   the   19 th    Century and     a     process     of     investigating     extensive     historical evidence   was   opened   by   the   Vatican,   paving   the   way   for the   beatification   of   this   man   from   Keith,   by   Pope   Pius   XI in    1929.    Nothing    much    happened    about    the    next    step towards   him   being   proclaimed   a   Saint   until   in   the   early 1960s   the   Cause   of   the   English   Martyrs,   or   at   least   40   of them,    began    to    revive    with    the    appointment    of    an energetic    young    Jesuit,    Fr    Paolo    Molinari,    as    Postural General     in     Rome.     With     his     investigations     came     the possibility   of   re-opening   the   Cause   of   Ogilvie.   Scots   Jesuits Father    James    Quinn    and    Father    Thomas    Reilly,    great supporters   of   the   Ogilvie   cause,   were   appointed   to   form   a National   Council   composed   of   priests   to   investigate   what devotion   existed   in   Scotland   to   John   Ogilvie,   and   armed with   a   consignment   of   300,000   medals   the   committee   set about promoting prayers for his Canonisation. Of   course,   to   pave   the   way   for   sainthood   a   miracle   would be   needed.   Father   Reilly   and   Father   John   Fitzgibbon   ran   a large     parish     in     Glasgow’s     Easterhouse     dedicated     to Blessed    John    Ogilvie,    and    in    their    congregation    was    a docker   called   John   Fagan   who   in   1965   was   diagnosed   as having   stomach   cancer.   An   operation   removed   part   of   his stomach    but    from    X-rays    afterwards    doctors    declared they   had   done   all   they   could.   The   cancer   cells   remained and,    they    said,    the    tumour    would    return,    which    it    did seven months later. It   was   decided   that   surgery   would   kill   him.   His   wife   Mary was    told:    “There    is    nothing    more    we    can    do    for    your husband.   Take   him   home   and   be   good   to   him.”   His   GP   noted how   the   mass   in   his   patient’s   abdomen   was   growing   ever bigger.   Mr   Fagan   was   in   continuous   pain.   In   January,   1967, Father   Fitzgibbon   administered   the   Last   Rites   and   he   gave a   medal   of   Blessed   John   Ogilvie   to   Mrs   Fagan,   suggesting she   pin   it   to   her   husband’s   pyjamas.   Parishioners   prayed to Blessed John for him. In   March,   John   Fagan   was   said   to   be   hours   away   from death   and   the   GP   declared   there   was   nothing   more   he could   do.   He   expected   to   return   the   next   day   to   sign   the death    certificate.    The    Legion    of    Mary    and    neighbours joined   the   Fagan   family   at   the   bedside   to   pray.   After   they had   gone,   Mrs   Fagan   kept   a   quiet   vigil   as   John   slipped   in and   out   of   consciousness.   At   six   in   the   morning   she   woke and   felt   the   room   cold.   She   checked   her   husband’s   pulse and    heartbeat,    there    was    neither.    She    slumped    in    her chair,   heads   in   her   hands,   and   dozed   off.   She   was   woken by a voice declaring “Mary, I’m hungry” . It    took    five    years    of    intensive    medical    investigations, checking     of     all     hospital     and     medical     records,     and examinations    by    the    Church    in    Scotland    and    in    Rome before    it    was    officially    confirmed    that    there    was    no natural explanation for John Fagan’s recovery. In   October,   1975,   the   Congregation   of   Cardinals   in   Rome accepted   that   a   miracle   had   taken   place   and   in   May,   1976, approval   came   for   the   Blessed   John   Ogilvie   to   be   made   a Saint.
  St John Ogilvie
Path to Sainthood         Part Two