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Father
Isaac Hecker was a holy
man who inspired people
to come to know God more
deeply and to trust more
completely in the gift
of the Holy Spirit that
dwells within the soul.
From his early childhood
to his death at the age
of sixty nine, Father
Hecker sought to deepen
his personal experience
of God and believed that
what he experienced
could serve as an
example to others. His
writings center on the
spiritual search that
all of us make, if we
open our hearts to God's
grace. In addition,
Father Hecker had a
particular concern for
how that search for God
occurs in North America
with its complex culture
and needs.
There have always been
spiritual followers of
Father Hecker, beginning
with the society he
founded and the members
of the parochial
communities where the
Paulists have served.
Father Hecker has
inspired converts,
authors, priests,
bishops and other
religious. His belief in
an active American
Catholicism that
uniquely contributes to
the larger church and
his promotion of
devotion to the Holy
Spirit, are powerful
ideas that are very much
a part of the American
church. The Paulist
Fathers seek to extend
and promote his
reputation for sanctity
among the Catholic
faithful, believing that
his life is a model of
holiness for others to
follow and that his
teaching offers
substantial guidance for
seekers who wish to know
God more deeply,
especially through the
action of the Holy
Spirit.
We have requested that
Cardinal Egan of New
York open an
investigation into
Father Hecker's
reputation for sanctity
though his life, writing
and preaching. This is
the first stage towards
canonization. In
addition to
investigating his
reputation for sanctity,
we seek his
intercession, a sign
that Father Hecker is in
heaven. Please ask for
Father Hecker to assist
us, especially when we
have prayer requests
that have very serious
consequences.
We hope to formally open
Father Hecker's cause in
2008, the 150th
anniversary of the
founding of the Paulist
Fathers. As his cause
develops, we will keep
you informed.
Father Paul Robichaud
CSP
Office of the Cause of
Father Hecker
3015 Fourth Street N.E.
Washington, D.C.
20017-1102
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