Blessed Francis Jordan
Father Francis Jordan died in Tafers near Fribourg on September 8, 1918, and was buried in the local parish church. In 1956 his mortal remains were transferred to the Society Motherhouse in Rome. In 1942 his process for beatification was officially started.
On December 14, 2006, the “Positio on Virtues” was submitted to the Historical Consultors who issued a positive verdict on June 5, 2007. On January 22, 2010, the Congressus Peculiaris of Theological Consultors met and also issued a positive result. The cardinals and bishops at their regular meeting on January 11, 2011, having heard the report from the presenter of the cause (Ponens), His Eminence Most Rev. Msgr. Lino Fumagalli recognized that the Servant of God did demonstrate the theological virtues and the cardinal virtues to a heroic degree along with the other associated virtues.
His Holiness Benedict XVI accepted and ratified the decision of the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints and declared: it is clear that the Servant of God, Francis Mary of the Cross (known in civil society as Johann Baptist Jordan) Founder of the Society of the Divine Saviour as well as the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Saviour, possessed to a heroic degree the theological virtues, faith, hope, and charity towards both God and neighbor, along with the cardinal virtues prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and other attendant virtues. The Holy Father has ordered this decree to be published and be entered in the files of the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints.
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has authorized the promulgation of the decree regarding the miracle attributed to the intercession of Father Francis Mary of the Cross (in secular life John Baptist) JORDAN, Founder of the Salvatorians.
The Miracle
A young couple that was expecting a baby in 2014 in Jundiai (Brazil), was informed by several medical doctors and specialists that their unborn child was suffering an incurable bone disease (skeletal dysplasia). Being members of a group of Lay Salvatorians, the parents began to pray through the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God, Fr. Francis Jordan, inviting other members of the Salvatorian Family to join them. The child was born in a completely healthy condition on 8 September 2014, the day of Fr. Francis Jordan´s death anniversary. After the required canonical procedures had been successfully completed, the Holy Father, Pope Francis declared that this miraculous healing was worked by God through the intercession of Fr. Francis Jordan.
The declaration of the Pope on 19 June 2020 finishes the process of the miracle and opens definitely the way towards the beatification of Fr. Francis Jordan. As of May 15, 2021, he is “Blessed Francis Jordan.”