Bishop Sullivan begins process to canonize Frank Parater, former diocesan seminarian
On January 24, 2002, Bishop Sullivan issued a formal decree to announce the canonization process of a former seminarian for the Diocese of Richmond, Francis J. Parater. In the decree, Bishop Sullivan declares Frank Parater to be a "Servant of God", the first step toward canonization in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican granted permission for Bishop Sullivan to proceed with the initial phases of the canonization process in May 2001. The bishop then appointed Father J. Scott Duarte, JCD of the Diocesan Tribunal to serve as "postulator" for the process. The postulator gathers information to formulate the case for beatification and then for canonization.
Francis J. Parater was born in Richmond, Virginia on October 10, 1897. He died while a seminarian preparing for priesthood in the Diocese of Richmond at North American College in Rome, Italy on February 7, 1920.
Frank Parater, who became an Eagle Scout, is the first boy scout in the Boy Scouts of America to be proclaimed Servant of God and to be looked upon as a candidate for canonization.
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