The push for a new "Saint of Immigrant Children"
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Pamphlets and prayer cards of Sister Blandina Segale sit on a table Tuesday at the Catholic Center in Albuquerque as an Archdiocese of Santa Fe panel listens to evidence about Segale on possible sainthood. Photo: Axios/Russell Contreras
An Italian-born nun who confronted Billy the Kid, calmed angry mobs, opened New Mexico territory hospitals and later gave refuge to immigrant children is getting closer to Sainthood from the Roman Catholic Church.
The big picture: The push for Sister Blandina Segale's sainthood comes as President-elect Trump vows mass deportation and Catholic groups prepare to assist immigrants going into hiding.
- If she becomes a saint, she'd be Patron Saint of Immigrant Children.
State of play: Some Catholics believe Segale is responsible for miracles in helping immigrant children detained at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- New Mexico Catholic officials visited the Vatican last week to make their case for Sainthood before Catholic historians amid a review that could take years, even decades. The Santa Fe Archdiocese and the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops confirmed the meeting to Axios.
Catch up quick: Segale supporters in 2015 presented their case before the Archdiocese of Santa Fe at a ceremonial "first inquiry" on why Sister Blandina Segale should become a saint.
- The public inquiry determined there was enough evidence to move her case through the largely secret process at the Vatican.
- Witnesses said Segale fought against the cruel treatment of Native Americans and sought to stop the trafficking of women as sex slaves.
- They also testified that in death, Segale has helped cancer patients and poor immigrants who have prayed to her for help.
Zoom in: A group of Vatican historians last week voted to affirm Segale's case — a vital hurdle to move it along, Allen Sánchez, New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops executive director, told Axios from Rome.
- "So we move to this next step. This is important because of what is happening in the United States," Sánchez said.
- "The health care system she started is now one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the country called CommonSpirit, with 145 hospitals in 24 states."
Flashback: Segale, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, came to Trinidad, Colorado, in 1877 to teach poor children. She was later transferred to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she co-founded public and Catholic schools.
- While in New Mexico, she worked with the poor, the sick and immigrants. She also advocated on behalf of Hispanics and Native Americans who were losing their land to swindlers.
- Victoria Marie Forde of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati said documents showed Segale went out of her way to provide assistance to Italian-American immigrants and protect Mexican Americans facing violence in western territories.
The intrigue: Her encounters with Billy the Kid — an American outlaw in the Old West linked to several killings — remain among her most popular and well-known Western frontier adventures.
- According to one story, she received a tip that The Kid was coming to her town to scalp the four doctors who refused to treat his friend's gunshot wound.
- Segale nursed the friend to health, and when Billy went to Trinidad to thank her, she asked him to abandon his violent plan. He agreed.
Fun fact: Her encounters with Old West outlaws later became the stuff of legend and were the subject of an episode of the CBS series "Death Valley Days."
- The episode was called "The Fastest Nun in the West."
