Beatification for Maria Merkert

Nysa, Oct. 1, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the beatification of Maria Merket on Sunday, September 30. About 10,000 people attended the beatification ceremonies, which took place in Nysa, Poland. Blessed Maria Merkert (1817- 1872) is the founder of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth, the largest religious order in Poland with 1,300 sisters. During his Angelus audience on September 30, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) switched briefly to the Polish language to welcome pilgrims from that country and call attention to the beatification ceremonies that had taken place earlier in the day. Blessed Maria Merkert, the Pontiff observed, "was outstanding in her concern for the sick, the poor, and the abandoned."