Church to canonize 6 saints October 17

VATICAN CITY,(Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI announced today that the Church will proclaim six saints on October 17..

The announcement of the canonizations was a particularly awaited moment in the Holy See, as demonstrated by the presence of 37 cardinals, archbishops and bishops.

Those to be canonized include:

-- Blessed Stanislaw Soltys, called Kazimierczyk, professed priest of the Canons Regular of the Lateran, born Sept. 27, 1433 in Kazimierz (Poland) and died in the same place May 3, 1489;

-- Blessed André Bessette (born Alfred), religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross; born in Saint-Grégoire d'Iberville, Canada, Aug. 9, 1845, and died in Montreal, Canada, Jan. 6, 1937;

-- Blessed Candida Maria of Jesus, baptized Juana Josefa Cipitria y Barriola, founder of the Congregation of Daughters of Jesus, born in the hamlet of Berrospe, Andoain (Guipuzcoa), , on May 31, 1845 and died on August 9, 1912.

-- Blessed Mary of the Cross MacKillop (baptized Mary Helen), founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart; born on January 15, 1842 in Fitzroy, Australia, and died on August 8, 1909 in Sydney, Australia;

-- Blessed Giulia Salzano, founder of the Congregation of the Catechetical Sisters of the Sacred Heart; born Oct. 13, 1846, in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy, and died May 17, 1929, in Casoria, Italy;

-- Blessed Camilla Battista da Varano, sister of the Poor Clares and founder of the monastery of St. Clare in Camerino; born April 0, 1458, in Camerino, Italy, and died in the same city May 31, 1524.