A petition to open the cause for canonization of an American teen who sacrificed himself to save the lives of his classmates from a school shooting has officially been submitted. Kendrick Castillo, a student who attended STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado, passed away on May 7, 2019, after heroically charging the shooter. He was only several weeks away from graduation.
Castillo's heroic action provided an escape for classmates who were likely just moments away from taking their last breath. In the Holy Bible, Jesus says there's no greater love than when a man lays down his life for his friends. Castillo clearly embodies this truth, which means he followed Christ's example down to the letter.
Two priests from St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch submitted the petition to open the cause of canonization as a means of giving the young man the honor he richly deserves.
“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,” Colorado Springs Bishop James Golka said. “Although I have just begun to review the information submitted, it seems clear that Kendrick was an exceptional young man.”
For those who might not be familiar with the process of saintly canonization in the Roman Catholic Church, just because the petition has been submitted does not mean it's a guarantee that Castillo will be canonized. Still, the faithful are free to look at individuals who are undergoing the process or who are being considered for it as examples of virtue.
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John Castillo, Kendrick's father, recently sat down with 710 KNUS, a conservative radio station based in Colorado, to provide more information on the petition. During his conversation with the station, he revealed that he and his wife were put in touch with Frs. Bierbaum and DiLoreto. He then said the two priests "felt compelled to open the cause for canonization" for Kendrick.
The elder Castillo said he "never met" the two priests before they started the petition. In fact, the boy's parents said the whole idea "surprised" them. John Castillo then told the host that there are five stages to canonization and that it can take a long, long time, maybe even centuries.
According to Kendrick's father, the process is currently in the "infant stages." Jeff Hunt, the radio host interviewing the teenager's parents, asked John what kind of emotions he felt when he first received the call about the petition.
“It was just a rash of emotion. This is something so different,” Castillo told Hunt. “Kendrick has been rightfully honored as a hero.” John then said that Kendrick took his faith seriously and was "deeply involved" in it "his whole life."
“He was very holy and he walked that in his life,” his dad explained, going on to highlight how Kendrick had an interest in joining the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization that serves the Church and local community. He was posthumously inducted as a member at the group's annual convention following the shooting.
John Castillo then said that he hopes young people remember that "God is the ultimate thing that we live for," a principle his son made the foundation of his life.
“I hope that Kendrick is a virtuous example of what that is,” he concluded. “That’s what our world needs today.”
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