The Diocese of Duluth is considering to have notable missionary put forward as potential candidate for sainthood. Monsignor Joseph Buh, spoke six languages as he worked in Minnesota as a missionary from Slovenia. He arrived in Northern Minnesota back in 1864 to spread the Gospel to Native Americans near Crow Wing.

Father Richard Kunst at St. James Catholic Church says this isn’t the first time Monsignor Buh was considered for sainthood. Monsignor Buh’s first mission was at Lake Winnibigoshish. This is back in January of 1865, where he camped out in -21 below zero weather just to reach the outpost.

“He spent many decades here working in very harsh conditions. He died over 100 years ago. Right now we are exploring the idea of the possibility of canonization,” Father Kunst said. “There’s been some movement towards that in past decades, but it never really took off. Bishop Daniel Felton has decided to basically reintroduce Monsignor Buh to the Duluth area and the Duluth Diocese, to see whether or not there’s a potential interest in a cause for canonization.”

In 1888, Bishop Seidenbusch entrusted the missions of all northern Minnesota to Buh. The main focus would be on the towns of the Iron Range, making Saint Martin’s at Tower his new headquarters. It was during the 1880s when iron ore mining caused a flood of new immigrants into the area. Buh had a working knowledge of six languages, which made him indispensable to the foreigners moving north.

“Monsignor Buh, would walk 45 miles in a snowstorm to go and anoint somebody. He would do it at the drop of a hat,” Father Kuntz said. “It just shows that heroic level of selflessness, the spiritual wellbeing and the physical wellbeing of the people he was ministering to.”

In 1875 Buh became the missionary aid to Bishop Rupert Seidenbusch, the first bishop of the Vicariate of northern Minnesota. Buh accompanied and guided the new bishop throughout much of his expansive
territory aiding him in his pastoral visits to remote outposts.

“So beatification is the next to last step. That’s when somebody’s declared blessed. Then the last step is canonization when somebody’s declared a saint,” Father Kuntz said. “So in each the instances of blessed being beatified and then canonized, there has to be a miracle that has been performed through their intercession after their death. And that’s what is basically verification of their being with God in heaven.”

At the moment there are saints from Minnesota. In fact the list of saints from the United States is incredibly small with only 11 canonized Saints. Alongside five Blessed and numerous Venerable candidates on the path to official recognition as saints.

Father Kuntz says later in October, the priests of the Diocese of Duluth will discuss the next steps recognizing Monsignor Buh for sainthood at their annual clergy conference.

For more information about Monsignor Joseph Buh you can read more here. WDIO News also have several other stories about the Diocese of Duluth.