Spanish Vincentian missionary to India declared "Servant of God"

Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur declared Father Valerian Guemes Rodriguez, a Spanish Vincentian missionary to India, "Servant of God," on August 12 at St. Peter’s Church Mohana, Gajapati district of Odisha, eastern India.

The Dicastery for the Cause of Saints in Rome, under Pope Francis, issued a Nihil Obstat in May 2023 to declare Fr. Valerian Guemes Rodriguez CM (1890–1978) as the "Servant of God."

"It is a matter of great joy and honor for us," said Bishop Nayak.

Declaring a person a "Servant of God" is the first of three steps in the process of sainthood, and it is done in the concerned diocese, he explained.

The second step is beautification as a Blessed," and the third and last is canonization as a "Saint," which is normally done in Rome.

Father Guemes was declared "Servant of God" at St. Peter’s Church, Mohana, the place of his death, during the solemn Eucharistic celebration.

Prior to the celebration, in a press note, Bishop Nayak urged Catholics to participate in the Holy Eucharist in great numbers as a sign of their sustained love, homage, and respect for the "Servant of God, Father Guemes,", be part of the moment of God’s grace, and continue to pray for his canonization.

Father Guemes was one of the first four Spanish Vincentians sent as missionaries to India in 1922.

He was born on September 12, 1890, in Quintanarruz, Spain. He was ordained a priest on August 29, 1915, as a member of the Madrid Province of the Congregation of the Mission.

Along with three of his companions, he began his journey to India on November 20, 1921, and arrived in Cuttack, India, on January 10, 1922.

In his assigned place, God blessed his evangelizing efforts with the formation of strong Christian communities. Fifty-six years of missionary work by Father Guemes and his companions resulted in the establishment of three dioceses.

Once he moved to India, Father Guemes never returned to Spain. His favorite place was Mohana in Orissa (now Odisha) because that is where he built his first church, and that is where he spent his last days.

He died in 1978 at the age of 88 and is buried in the cemetery of St. Peter Church, Mohana, Diocese of Berhampur.

He is considered a saint by thousands of people, and, therefore, many go to his tomb to pray. There are also many people who share the miracles obtained through the intercession of Father Guemes. - Santosh Digal