On way to sainthood

Mother Aubert

New Zealand nun Suzanne Aubert has taken a step towards becoming this country's first Catholic saint.

Aubert, better known as Sister Mary Joseph or Mother Aubert, was declared "venerable" by Pope Francis at a ceremony at the Vatican this week.

"She was a remarkable woman who devoted her life to helping others," said Wellington Archbishop Cardinal John Dew.

"She was a pioneer of New Zealand's health and welfare system and a friend to Maori throughout her life."

Aubert, who lived from 1835 to 1926, came to New Zealand from France in 1860 and spent most of her life here, fully identifying with her adopted country.

"Suzanne Aubert was ahead of her time, promoting the rights of women and Maori in the nineteenth century," Cardinal Dew said. "Her care for infants, young children, their mothers and families, and her practical concern for the incurably sick and unemployed was legendary."

Last year the official case for her proposed canonisation was submitted to the Congregation for the Cause of Saints in Rome.

The promoter of her canonisation, Dr Maurice Carmody, said the next stage involved the recognition of a miracle attributed to her, such as recovery from a terminal illness as a result of prayer.

"She can then be declared 'Blessed' by the Pope. A second miracle and proof that she is a model for the universal Church will enable her to be canonised as a saint."

Sister Margaret Anne, congregational leader for the Sisters of Compassion, said the news from Rome was very exciting for the order and for all of New Zealand.

"Suzanne Aubert was an inspirational figure in New Zealand history. She reached out to people of all walks of life. Her huge energy and respect for all those she encountered, especially the needy, impressed a wide cross-section of New Zealanders."

At the time her funeral was said to be the largest ever held for a woman in New Zealand.