The Cause

Officials of the Cause
Roman Postulator – Waldery Hilgeman, JUD
Roman Relator (for the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints) – Msgr. Maurizio Tagliaterri
Draftor of Positio – Cristiana Marinelli
Denver Vice Postulator – John Magee, archdiocesan chancellor

These are important recent events affecting Julia’s Cause for canonization:

• Aug. 4, 2016 – The Archbishop hired Dr. Waldery Hilgeman, JUD, to be Roman Postulator for the Cause.
• Aug. 6, 2016 – Archbishop Samuel Aquila asked the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for the decree nihil obstat (nothing stands in the way) for opening Julia’s Cause. Julia is thereby entitled to be called Servant of God.
• Oct. 22, 2016 – The Congregation of Causes of Saints published its decree nihil obstat.
• Nov. 14, 2016 – The U.S. hierarchy unanimously endorsed Archbishop Aquila’s decision to open the Cause.
• Dec. 18, 2016 – Archbishop Aquila officially opened the Archdiocesan Phase of the Cause at Immaculate Conception Cathedral Basilica during the 8:30 Mass.
• Archdiocesan Chancellor David Uebbing is the local Vice Postulator of the Cause; Fr. Giovanni Capucci, the Archbishop’s Delegate; and Fr. Vincent Phung, the Promoter of Justice.
• May 26-31, 2017 – Julia Greeley’s mortal remains were exhumed at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Wheat Ridge, Colo., by team led by Dr. Christine Pink, PhD, Metro State University. All of Julia’s bones were recovered (including an extra rib). Dr. Pink determined Julia’s height to have been five feet, one inch, and said that her spine, legs, and hands were covered with arthritis.
• June 7, 2017 – The Servant of God’s bones were transferred to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where they were received by Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez in a solemn ceremony. After the creation of third-class relics, the bones were placed in a redheart-wood funerary chest, which was permanent placed in the northwest corner of the transept, where the faithful may now privately reverence Julia’s bones and invoke her intercession.
• May 30, 2018 – Julia’s remains and the red funerary chest were placed in a new Carrera marble sarcophagus.
• Aug. 10, 2018 – The Archdiocesan Phase of the Cause was completed and 11,750 pages of data were sealed for delivery to Rome.
• Sept. 14, 2018 – The Acta of the Archdiocesan Phase were delivered to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
• January 2021 — The Congregation certified that the Archdiocesan Phase was executed correctly, thus allowing the opening of the Apostolic (Roman) Phase of the Cause.
• Nov. 12, 2021 –Cristiana Marinelli of Rome was hired to draft the Official Positio for the Cause.
• Feb. 12, 2022 – The CCS (a month later renamed the Dicastery for the Cause of Saints (DCS), appointed Msgr. Maurizio Tagliaterri as its Relator, overseeing the writing of the Positio.

Media Report: Opening of the Cause:
See Sharon Levitt, “Life of African sainthood candidate a gripping tale,” at https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/07/life-african-american-sainthood-candidate-gripping-tale