Posted on 04/13/2015 6:02:42 AM PDT by marshmallow
A campaign is under way to have the Catholic priest who stayed on RMS Titanic instead of fleeing on a lifeboat made a saint.
Father Thomas Byles, of St Helen's Church, Chipping Ongar, Essex, boarded the ship at Southampton to attend his younger brother's wedding in New York.
But when it sank in 1912 he twice refused to join a lifeboat and instead remained with passengers to pray.
The current priest at St Helen's Church said Father Byles should be canonised.
Father Byles, educated in Fleetwood, Lancashire and Oxford, had been rector at St Helen's for eight years when he died.
He had performed mass for second and third class passengers on board the ship, most notably on the morning of the tragedy.
His sermon alluded to prayers and sacraments being spiritual lifeboats when in danger from the spiritual shipwreck of temptation.
His actions before perishing with 1,500 others aboard the Titanic were praised by Pope Pius X.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Serious question from a non-Catholic. Doesn’t one have to prove miracles before becoming a saint?
Yes. Two miracles.
*before becoming a canonized (Church recognized) saint.
He can be elected by his parish and woshipped locally while the Vatican examines his case. Sounds like he should be Beautified at least for his acts.
Never worshiped.
Venerated.
Venerated is correct—never worshipped. Anyone can be so honored—even if they are not catholics.
Forgive me but how bout the other 1500 shlubs that went down with ship. He was a man he and did not belong in a life boat.
Worshipped?
Never mind. I see the correction — venerated.
I understand the insult. It's nothing new.
We simply ask the saints in glory to pray for us, since even death cannot separate us from the love of God, and the Body of Christ is One and inseparable.
One if a martyr, no?
I’d have to say this is not a case of being a martyr.
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