By Jonah McKeown

CNA Staff, November 4, 2024 / 3:25 p.m.

U.S. bishops are expected to discuss whether to open the sainthood cause of Sister Annella Zervas, a Benedictine nun from Minnesota who in the early 20th century demonstrated holiness and perseverance despite serious health problems .

Zervas was born Anna Cordelia Zervas in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1900. The second of six children in a devoutly Catholic family, Zervas demonstrated great devotion to her faith, particularly to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As a young girl, she walked to daily mass, often in the extreme cold of the north.

At age 15, she entered the Order of Saint Benedict at the convent of the Benedictine Sisters of Saint Joseph, Minnesota, taking the religious name Mary Annella. Her mother would have objected to the name she would have chosen: “There is no Saint Annella”. To which the young nun replied: “Then I will have to be the first. » She took her final vows in July 1922.

A year later, in 1923, Zervas began suffering from what was later diagnosed as pityriasis rubra pilaris, a chronic and debilitating skin disease that caused extreme itching and other serious discomfort. Despite her condition, Zervas, a talented musician, continued to teach music at a Catholic school in Bismarck, North Dakota. Known for her positive attitude and good humor, she offered her pain united with the suffering of Christ, trusting in the intercession of Mary and finding in the Eucharist her “greatest consolation”.

She died at the age of 26 in 1926 on the eve of the Solemnity of the Assumption. After his death, people began to report receiving favors and miracles through his intercession.

Patrick Norton, a defender of his future cause, said he had a vision in 2010 while at Zervas’ grave and was inspired to pass on his devotion to him. Norton, a house painter, husband and father of three from Avon, Minnesota, has dedicated his life to sharing his story by reprinting and distributing pamphlets about his life and giving lectures, although he has not no prior experience.

At its planned annual plenary meeting in Baltimore, which begins Nov. 11, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) plans to discuss the opening of its cause for beatification and canonization.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, led the effort to open his cause, working with local Benedictines – who were initially reluctant to open his cause – to gather information from their archives. On October 23, Cozzens published a letter announcing that preliminary steps to open his cause for sainthood are underway.

Zervas’ family has been cooperative, sharing photos and information to help tell his story. A guild was organized to promote prayer and awareness of its potential cause.

Once opened – giving Zervas the title “servant of God” – the case will first gather testimony and information to determine whether Zervas lived a life of “heroic virtue.”

If the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints agrees, Zervas will be declared “venerable.” The next title, “blessed,” comes after at least one verified miracle has been attributed to her intercession.

Jonah McKeown is an editor and podcast producer for the Catholic News Agency. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, public radio producer and videographer. He is based in St. Louis.