Efforts to have Charlene Richard recognized as a saint have advanced another step, with the Vatican accepting and approving the results of the Diocese of Lafayette’s investigation into the life and virtue of “The Little Cajun Saint.”
Richard, a native of Richard in Acadia Parish, died at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette on Aug. 11, 1959, at age 12, after a brief battle with leukemia. During the last two weeks of her life, Richard dedicated her suffering and prayers for the salvation of the souls of others.
Many people visit her gravesite in Richard and offer prayers seeking intercession and miracles. More than 1,600 people claim to have seen Richard in visions and dreams, according to testimonies filed with the Catholic Church…