Blessed to Saint

Blessed James Miller is the first De La Salle Christian Brother from the United States to be beatified.

Cause for Canonization

Many of those who knew Brother James throughout his life have said James would become a saint since his death in 1982. His piety and dedication to the Lasallian charism were noticeable to all he met.

Since Brother James was declared a martyr, his canonization process is unique in that it only requires one proven miracle — typically a miraculous and instantaneous medical healing — attributed to his intercession before he can officially be pronounced a saint.

We can all join in the cause by praying for Blessed James’ intercession in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

5
1982
  • Brother James was killed in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, on February 13, 1982, while repairing a wall for the De La Salle Indian School.
4
1994

  • The Guatemalan bishops began investigating Brother James’ life and death in the hopes of the Vatican would continuing the investigatory phase.
5
1996
  • The Vatican began conducting its own investigation.
4
2009

  • The Diocese in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, collected all documents on Brother James’ life to supplement the Vatican’s investigation. The beatification process opened in Huehuetenango in September 2009 in a diocesan process that concluded in 2010. This diocese investigation gathered available documentation regarding Brother James’ life and witness testimonies from family and those who knew him.The formal introduction to the cause came in December 2009 under Pope Benedict XVI after a Vatican dicastery, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS), declared “nihil obstat,” meaning “nothing against the cause.”
5
2010

  • The Vatican asserted its Decree of Validity, declaring Brother James a Servant of God.The CCS later received the Positio dossier (containing testimonies of those who knew Brother James) for assessment. Brother Rodolfo Cosimo Meoli, FSC, was named Postulator General for the Cause for Canonization.
4
2018
  • On March 21, nine theologians approved the cause for beatification of Brother James in Rome. On November 8, 2018, Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing that Brother James died as a martyr.
5
2019

  • Brother James’ body was exhumed to determine if his body was incorruptible and to gather relics. The process yielded many first-class relics of Brother James’ hair and second-class relics of his habit. On December 7, 2019, the Catholic Church officially beatified Brother James Miller, FSC, as a martyr at an open-air Mass celebrated on the property of the residence in Huehuetenango where he was killed in 1982. Many of his fellow Brothers, family, former students, priests, religious and other Lasallians were present.