Okarche Native Proposed For Sainthood

Friday, September 21st 2007, 8:19 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is starting the process of trying to have martyred priest Stanley Rother declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Rother was born in Okarche and would become the first Oklahoman to be canonized.

He was killed by guerrillas in July 1981 while serving as pastor of the Santiago Atitlan parish in Guatemala.

The Most Reverend Eusebius Beltran says the process will formally begin October 5th with the commissioning of a canonization committee.

The committee members will interview people who knew Rother in Guatemala and Oklahoma. It will also determine and record instances of miracles that resulted from Rother.

The information will be presented to the Vatican for church officials to study and review.

Beltran says the process can take years. He points out the process to declare Mother Teresa a saint is still ongoing and she died ten years ago.