‘Folks and saints’ and the blessing way
The stories of The Blessing Way column reflect the actions and deeds of certain types of spiritual or “holy” people throughout the history of humankind, and whose love for and action on behalf of the rest of us have caused them to be revered and respected and besought for their intercessions even after they might already have been dead for many hundreds of years in some cases, or even still living in the world. Some call them “folk saints.”
The Blessing Way itself can be described as a certain path, a particular way of action, based on an experiential knowledge or a vision of what has been called the divine, or spiritual realms, that are not usually perceived by the physical senses alone, but which in ordinary or extraordinary reality are in fact present behind the face of the mystery known as “normal” life and existence.
These individuals have extraordinary and even supernatural experiences and encounters with tangible and intangible circumstances, forces and spirits that often seem to be deliberately set against them on their journeys.
Perhaps some or all of them may be remembered or even revered in some future time for their works and deeds during their travels, or for some of the healings they have performed on behalf of others, or for other remarkable and even miraculous works that benefit the people.
Certain men and women, past and present, have been designated as folk saints, which is to say, spiritually efficacious people who have not been nor are likely to be officially canonized as saints by the institutional ecclesiastical structures. Nonetheless, these individuals are deemed by the populace to be “saints of the people.”
In pre-Christian traditions, some prophets and holy people who were honored with shrines were identified by popular acclaim rather than official designation. Islamic counterparts of the Christian saints, associated most closely with Sufism, as an example, are still identified that way. Early Christians followed in the same tradition when they visited the shrines of Martyrs to ask for their intercession with God. It was not until the end of the first millennium A.D. that the sanctity of martyrs and other venerated people was formally recognized by the Catholic Church, for example.
There is a long tradition for the veneration of unofficial saints, and modern folk saints continue to reach popularity in much the same way as ever. Tales of a person’s good works or miracles spread by word of mouth, and their acclaim is likely to increase if new miracles continue to be reported after their death.
For example, some hagiographic (study of saints) sources say that Saint Rose of Lima, Peru — the first canonized indigenous American saint — attracted mass veneration beginning almost at the moment of that mystic’s death. Crowds of people appeared at her funeral, where some even cut off pieces of her clothing to keep as relics. A religious movement quickly developed with Rosa de Lima at the center, but she was not officially canonized by the Catholic Church until half a century later. In the meantime, she was essentially a folk saint.
The designation of a person as a folk saint is not necessarily durable, however. While ‘official’ saints remain canonized, regardless of their popularity, folk saints that lose their devotees by their failure to respond to petitions might fade from memory entirely.
While most folk saints are recognized and venerated for an intrinsic holiness that brings healing and mercy and grace and inspiration, like El Niño Fidencio of Mexico and some other well-known healers, there are a few folk saints that are very controversial, one being, for example, the so-called “Santa Muerte,” which I might discuss in the future.
In the meantime, during this Thanksgiving time, and in all seasons, we are grateful for all those exceptional and holy individuals, living and dead, who give hope and spiritual uplifting to the people in El Norte and the world at large. Are there folk saints in our own communities? They are always most welcome...!