Deacon DeGaetano pens book on Servant of God; cause takes important step
By Maggie Parsons
The cause for sainthood of Servant of God Father Patrick Ryan, whose ministry in the 1800s centered on Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Chattanooga, is advancing as it takes its canonical journey to the next level.
In May, the Vatican validated the diocesan inquiry, approving the process performed by the Diocese of Knoxville that serves as an initial, local investigation, led by the bishop, that gathered documents and testimonies about the life and virtues of Father Ryan.
With the Vatican determining that the diocesan inquiry was done correctly, Father Ryan’s cause will now proceed to the Roman phase, which involves the historical and theological examinations. Then the final document will be presented to the Holy Father for approval.
The next major goal will be to have Father Ryan named “venerable.”
As Father Ryan receives pontifical review, Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano, the retired vice postulator for the Chattanooga priest’s cause, has published a book about Father Ryan’s life titled A Cause Whose Time Has Come, in which he highlights the importance of the Sts. Peter and Paul pastor who died a martyr’s death in Chattanooga’s yellow fever epidemic of 1878 when he was only 33 years old.
“I wanted something interesting to work on; it turned out to be just a great gift. It’s something that if I had a dream of what I would really want to do, that was it,” said Deacon DeGaetano, who spoke with joy about the process of writing the book.
Deacon DeGaetano discussed how his journey in writing the book was a short one although the research involved occurred over years.
“I would start telling these stories years ago, and somebody would say, ‘You ought to write a book,’ and then I thought to myself, I’ll start collecting information. And that started the whole process,” he said.
“I would put things in a file on my phone. I wrote this whole book on my phone, and I would just think someday I’ll get to work on it,” the deacon who has served at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul said. “When I ended up retiring, it was less than a year that I finally put it all together.”
Deacon DeGaetano explained how what began as a response to a comment ended as a reward of a gift to the Church to be able to discuss the life of such a faithful servant of God.
In Deacon DeGaetano’s book, there are 12 chapters that chronicle the process thus far of the sainthood cause. He covers each step from his personal point of view and what it has meant to him to be a part of a remarkable undertaking.
“It was just a great joy—saying yes to what you think might be an inspiration if it’s something you’d like to do, and some ideal thing you’d like to do to just say let’s give it a try and let’s do it,” Deacon DeGaetano said, discussing what one of his roles was in the cause that led him to write his book.
He said “yes” to God by taking action as an act of faith to be able to highlight someone who devoted his life—and then gave his life—so faithfully.
In helping to promote his book, and to help others continue to be educated on Father Ryan’s life, Deacon DeGaetano has done multiple book signings since his work was published.
He pointed out that the signings were not to generate popularity but to help in continuing Father Ryan’s cause toward sainthood.
“The book signing is to promote the cause. It promotes it financially, and then it promotes it by information we share,” he remarked.
As the sainthood cause proceeds, it needs additional financial support to help cover the process of examinations.
Deacon DeGaetano is shown at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga at the grave of Father Ryan, whose remains have since been relocated to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul and placed in a tomb inside the basilica nave next to the sanctuary as part of his sainthood cause.
Deacon DeGaetano is using earnings from his book sales to help support the cause in more ways than one.
Father David Carter, rector of the basilica, who has had a vital role in the sainthood cause, discussed where the diocese is in the comprehensive, yearslong process.
“We had the diocesan inquiry that concluded a couple of years ago, and since then we hand-delivered the diocesan inquiry acts,” Father Carter said. “The first step is the verification of the diocesan inquiry, the canonical study. So, did you follow the proper procedures and processes? Did you do everything you were supposed to do, and can it be verified?”
“We submitted the cause to that study, and we have since gotten the decree that it was canonically verified, and now we’ve passed the first major hurdle in the Roman phase,” he said. “It’s now being submitted to the historical censors. These are the people who are going to be looking at it since there were no live witnesses. It’s all based on the history, looking at if the historical commission in the diocesan inquiry did its job correctly.”
Because a sainthood cause is so special and unique, Father Carter discussed why someone’s cause for sainthood is so important in the Catholic Church.
“Making saints is the No. 1 primary duty of the Catholic Church. That’s why we exist: to make saints. So, finding those people who exemplify the Catholic Christian way of living, and then holding them up should be our No. 1 task so that we have people to imitate; they say this one did it right, this one followed Jesus closely,” the basilica rector said. “So, the cause of canonization is a very precious, beautiful thing to do, but it also is a very intimate thing because you delve into the life of a person.”
Father Carter’s remarks explained just how beautiful it is in the Church to have those role models to look up to, those who followed Jesus, those whose lives can be learned from.
Not only is Father Ryan providing a faithful example of life by the way he lived, having a cause for sainthood within the diocese is special in its own way.
“Having a local cause gives us hope that even Chattanooga can have saints. We can be saints. If Father Ryan can do it, so can I,” Father Carter said. “He lived and moved and walked and preached here in this place. The same streets that I’m walking on, he walked on and found his way to holiness by the grace of God. So can I.”
He described the joy and beauty of having a role model to revere and admire how they lived their life by the grace of God.
And Father Ryan’s example can hopefully inspire others to say yes to God.
As the process for Father Ryan’s sainthood cause continues, a vitally important element is for the faithful in the diocese to pray for his intercession.
Praying for his intercession and continuing to learn about his life can enrich the lives of Catholic faithful in East Tennessee and beyond and serve to strengthen that faith.