Servant of Mary new file

He spent merely a few months in Portugal, but it is there that the memory of him survives so strongly to this day. Soon after his death, the Portuguese took steps to begin the cause for his beatification. Despite the liquida- tion of the religious orders in Portugal, and despite the fact that the church and monastery in Balsamao were left unat- tended, pilgrims kept coming to the grave of the “Saintly Pole”. Much was written about him in Portugal, yet he was little known in his own homeland. As early as August 4, 1756, the Bishop of Miranda issued a decree announcing the commencement of the information process regarding Father Casimir’s virtues and the miracles obtained through his intercession. Soon afterwards, the Bishop died, and it became necessary to wait until September 29, 1763 for any actual proceedings in this matter to begin. Eighty-five witnesses of Father Wyszy<ski’s life were interviewed in Miranda. A similar process was conducted in Lisbon where eight witnesses gave their testimony, and in Poland where nine people testified to the heroism of Father Casimir’s virtues. In 1771, the files containing these testimonies were sent to Rome. In 1780, the Sacred Congregation of Rites issued a decree allowing the appointment of a committee to formally conduct the beatification process of Father Casimir in this Congregation. The beatification cause pro- gressed rather swiftly. Many witnesses were convinced that they had received graces through the intercession of the Servant of God. The reknown of his holiness spread 77 THE SERVANT OF MARY IMMACULATE