44 years ago, on 23 May 1982, we celebrated the beatification of the Redemptorist missionary Father Pietro Donders.
Whilst we joyfully celebrate this anniversary each year, there is also the hope that one day our blessed confrere will be proclaimed a saint amongst the other saints of the universal Church. For this reason, a few years ago, the search for the second miracle through his intercession – necessary for canonisation – has been resumed.
In recent years, several alleged miraculous healings through his intercession have been reported. All the reported cases can be interpreted as graces received from God through his intercession, and we are sincerely grateful for them. They bear witness to the fact that devotion to Blessed Peter Donders is still alive and present in many parts of the world. However, in every case examined, it has not been possible to initiate a process of recognition, for various reasons:
– the ‘healed’ person was not actually healed – their condition had improved only temporarily,
– appropriate and effective treatment had been administered – making the healing explainable,
– the illness was destined to disappear spontaneously – ruling out a ‘fatal’ or at least ‘poor’ prognosis,
– no medical records existed – making it impossible to prove a miracle,
– the healed person was unwilling to cooperate – making it impossible to initiate a process due to privacy and moral regulations. (This occurs when it is not the healed person themselves who prays, but others do so on their behalf.)
It is worth recalling in this regard what the Church stipulates for the recognition of a healing as a miracle. According to the criteria of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a healing may be considered miraculous if it meets the following conditions: the illness must be serious, incurable or difficult to treat; the healing must be instantaneous, complete and lasting; there must be no plausible scientific explanation; and it must be attested by medical documentation. Furthermore, it must be demonstrable that the healing occurred following a prayer of intercession addressed specifically to Blessed Peter Donders.
The documents do not prescribe a particular form of prayer, but they do indicate the elements that make an invocation recognisable and attributable. It is important that the prayer be clearly and specifically addressed to Blessed Peter Donders, that it precede the onset of the healing, and that it be documentable: for example, through a novena made in his name, or the use of an image or relic of his.
Public veneration of Blessed Peter Donders is currently limited to the Congregation of the Redemptorists and a few dioceses. Yet the numerous requests for relics from countries such as Brazil or the Philippines show just how widespread the faithful’s desire is to draw closer to this figure.
We can therefore look ahead with confidence. You are invited to pray and to encourage others to pray through the intercession of Blessed Peter Donders and, if you have received or know of a grace that can be attributed to him, please report it. Miracles do happen — it is important to recognise and document them, because even a single one can bring us closer to canonisation.
Testimonies regarding graces received through the intercession of Blessed Peter Donders may be sent to:
Claudia Peters, Vice-Postulator of the Cause of Peter Donders C.Ss.R.,
vicepostulator@peerkedonders.nl
23 May 2026
