THE POPE HAS approved the beatification of an Irish priest who died in 1933.

Archbishop Eamon Martin welcomed the news that Pope Francis approved the beatification of Venerable John Sullivan SJ, who was a Jesuit priest.

He was declared ‘Venerable’ by the Pope in 2014, and now the Pope has agreed that Fr Sullivan performed a miracle. The move means that Fr Sullivan could be canonised by the pontiff.

According to the Fr John Sullivan website, a number of ‘miracle cures’ happened to people with whom he prayed, “including the dramatic healing of Michael Collins, nephew of Michael Collins, founder of the Free State”.

Collins had paralysis as a child. Fr Sullivan promised to say mass for him, and then later prayed “for a long time” over the child and touched his leg.

The “trouble” with the boy’s leg ended and “never recurred”.

He was also said to have cured a woman who had pernicious vomiting and was “practically a living skeleton”. She stopped vomiting after Fr Sullivan sprinkled her with holy water and said some prayers.

Fr Sullivan spent much of his life in Clongowes Wood College in Co Kildare.

Fr John Sullivan SJ / Twitter Fr John Sullivan SJ / Twitter / Twitter

Archbishop Eamon said today:

It is wonderful news that Pope Francis has approved the decree that has authenticated a miracle attributed to Jesuit priest Father John Sullivan. I know that the news will be welcomed by all those, in Ireland and around the world, who have a devotion to him and who have been inspired by his ministry.

He added:

Father John Sullivan had that readiness to serve those who were in need. It is because of his reputation as a holy and healing person that so many people still visit his tomb in Gardiner Street Church in Dublin each year to pray for his intercession.

In order to be beatified, a miracle must be believed to have taken place, or the late person must have been deemed a martyr.

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