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Sainthood effort for Worcester mother and activist suspended

  • Posted by Faith 1 hour ago - Filed in News - #Worcester  #religion  #Diocese of Worcester  #Bishop Robert McManus  #Ruth V.K. Pakaluk  #Catholic Church  #Sainthood  #Canonization  #Beatification  #Servant of God  #Pro-Life  #Massachusetts Citizens for Life  #St. Paul Cathedral  #Visitation House  #Ruth V.K. Pakaluk Foundation  - 130 views


    RuthPakaluk.com

    WORCESTER — An effort to have a late Worcester pro-life activist, wife and mother recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church has been suspended, just over a year after the Vatican cleared the way for the process to begin.

    The Ruth V.K. Pakaluk Foundation announced on its website that it has suspended its petition to the bishop of Worcester to formally open the cause for Ruth V.K. Pakaluk's beatification and canonization.

    "This decision is based on considerations that extend beyond Ruth herself, her life, or her witness," the foundation wrote. "Ultimately, the matter rests in God's hands and will proceed according to the judgment of the Church."

    The foundation did not elaborate on the reasons for the suspension or indicate whether the effort might resume.

    The announcement comes after the Vatican gave the Diocese of Worcester permission in September 2025 to proceed with Pakaluk's cause, granting a designation known as "Servant of God," the first step in the Catholic Church's lengthy process toward possible sainthood.

    Pakaluk, who died of cancer at age 41 on September 23rd, 1998, was a mother of 7 and a prominent figure in state anti-abortion movement. She served as president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life and was active at St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester.

    Born in New Jersey, Pakaluk met her husband, Michael, while both attended Harvard University. The couple, who initially considered themselves atheists, embraced Catholicism after graduation.

    Despite her cancer diagnosis, Pakaluk continued her activism and parish ministry while raising her family. In January 1998, months before her death, she participated in the annual March for Life in Washington, collapsing afterward and requiring hospitalization, according to OSV News.

    Her legacy remains visible in Worcester. Visitation House, which provides housing and support to pregnant women and their children, was inspired by her work and wishes. The Worcester Diocese also established the Ruth V.K. Pakaluk Pro-life Youth Award in her honor.

    In November 2025, The Catholic Free Press reported that Bishop Robert J. McManus had appointed attorney Dwight Duncan as postulator of the pending cause, a role responsible for advancing the case through the Church's formal review process.

    At the time, plans called for the foundation to collect Pakaluk's writings and testimony from people who knew her. That evidence would eventually be examined by Church officials to determine whether she demonstrated heroic virtue.

    The process toward sainthood can take years or even decades and ordinarily requires the recognition of miracles attributed to the candidate's intercession.

    Pakaluk is buried at Notre Dame Cemetery in Worcester.

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