DENVER (KDVR) — Faith leaders in Highlands Ranch are asking the Catholic church to consider recognizing local teen Kendrick Castillo as a saint.
Castillo, 18, gave his life to save others during the May 7, 2019, school shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch. One of the suspects reportedly arrived late to class and pulled out a gun while ordering the whole room not to move.
Kendrick Castillo Way signs installed to honor STEM School shooting hero
Castillo ignored that order, charging the gunman, which allowed the other students time to take cover and escape. He was shot and killed, and eight others were wounded. His actions have made him a community hero ever since.
In November, Douglas County honored the teen by naming a busy street after him. Now, the Diocese of Colorado Springs has received a petition from the St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch to open his cause for canonization. As of Aug. 1, no cause for Castillo’s canonization had been opened.
“I am very grateful for the time and effort that Father Gregory Bierbaum and Father Patrick DiLoreto of St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch have spent gathering evidence and conducting interviews to prepare for a petition to open the cause for canonization of Kendrick Castillo,” said Colorado Springs Bishop James Golka in a statement. “Although I have just begun to review the information submitted, it seems clear that Kendrick was an exceptional young man.”…