By Valerie Schmalz
The Vatican has approved a complete investigation into the cause of sainthood of a former Mormon wife and mother who reported visions of Jesus and a mission to promote “The Mystical Humanity of Christ.”
The March 29 letter of approval from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to Monterey Bishop Richard Garcia was necessary for further investigation into the life of Cora Evans.
Evans, who was baptized in 1935 in Utah after becoming disillusioned by the Mormon faith, died March 30, 1957, near Monterey. She reported visions of Jesus and the saints and a mission from Jesus to promote the “Mystical Humanity of Christ,” the idea that Christ is always within us and we should behave always as Christ would, said Mike McDevitt, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Pillar in Half Moon Bay, who is the promoter of Evans’ cause of sainthood. The spirituality is also focused on praying the Mass.
Evans’ two children, husband Mack, and many family and friends followed her from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the Catholic faith.
The letter from Congregation Prefect Cardinal Angelo Amato granted the nihil obstat for “the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God, Cora Louise Evans.”
“While canon law clearly states that there is no certainty that Cora Evans will become a saint, the nihil obstat indicates Vatican approval for the process to proceed,” McDevitt said.
Bishop Garcia appointed Marianist Father David Schuyler to take testimony of approximately eight eye witnesses, including Evans’ daughter, McDevitt said. A theological review of Evans’ writings will begin and a historical commission will collect relics and other materials. The completed dossier will be sent to Rome.
For the Catholic Church to declare someone a saint, a miracle must occur and be verified after the cause of sainthood is opened. That will lead to the person being declared Blessed. After beatification, another miracle must occur and be verified for canonization, that is, sainthood.
From http://www.catholic-sf.org/index.php
The Cause for Cora Evans
After thorough review of the writings of Cora Evans, the story of her life and the heroic choices she made, the untold personal sacrifices and the suffering she endured for the cause of our Catholic faith, we are convinced of her creditability and concluded: Cora Evans was commissioned by Our Lord to promote the Mystical Humanity of Christ as way of prayer for the faithful throughout the world.
We conducted an extensive examination of Cora's outstanding evangelical virtues, combined with an abundance of eyewitness statements, the vast number of accounts written about her, and the testimony of her distinguished spiritual director affirming her mission.
Her story includes the hundreds of Mormon conversions to Catholicism she personally influenced, the impact she had on the spiritual lives of people, the effect the Mystical Humanity as a way of prayer continues to have on the lives of thousands of the faithful today. Her mystical gifts serve as an additional sign of authenticity, and included in the story of her remarkable life are the miracles attributed to her intercession.
For all these reasons, the Church accepted our petition and opened the cause for Cora Evans – it will benefit the Universal Church.
Read her remarkable story here: http://www.parishretreat.org/index.php?id=story
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