From Harvard Atheist to Candidate for Sainthood
The remarkable journey of Ruth Pakaluk, who transformed from a pro-choice Harvard atheist into a devout Catholic mother and pro-life campaigner, has taken a significant step forward as she advances on the path to sainthood. The Vatican has granted a nihil obstat, formally declaring there is 'nothing in the way' of considering her beatification and canonization nearly thirty years after her death from breast cancer at age forty-one.
A Life Transformed: Harvard to Motherhood
Pakaluk entered Harvard University in the mid-1970s as an enthusiastic supporter of legal abortion, but experienced a profound transformation during her studies. Despite the institution's left-wing reputation, both she and her future husband Michael found inspiration in the work of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This sparked their journey into Christianity, leading to their baptism into the Catholic Church during the 1980s.
The couple married and welcomed seven children together, though tragically one died from SIDS. In 1990, while pregnant with their seventh child, Pakaluk discovered a cancerous lump in her left breast. She battled the disease courageously for almost eight years before her death in 1998.
Pro-Life Advocacy and Confronting Planned Parenthood
Following her conversion, Pakaluk became a formidable voice in the pro-life movement. She established a pro-life group at Harvard and participated in debates across university campuses. Her advocacy extended to taking on Planned Parenthood during the 1990s, where she successfully persuaded the Worcester School Committee to reject a pro-choice sexual education curriculum.
Dwight Duncan, attorney for the Worcester Diocese and family friend appointed as postulator of her cause, recalled her unique character. 'She was kind of low-key. She wasn't assertive in personal dealings,' he told the National Catholic Register. 'But if she was front and center, like a debate or a speech or something, she was a strong, powerful woman.'
Family Legacy and the Road to Sainthood
In her final month, Pakaluk demonstrated extraordinary selflessness by calmly advising her husband Michael to remarry after her death, specifically suggesting family friend Catherine Hardy as someone who 'might be the one to raise her children.' Michael followed her wishes, marrying Hardy in 1999 when she was twenty-three. Together they had eight additional children, creating a combined family that now includes thirty-two grandchildren.
The Diocese of Worcester has now begun intense scrutiny of Pakaluk's life and potential miracles. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, declared Pakaluk a 'Servant of God' in a September 29 letter. The investigation will determine if she lived a life of 'Heroic Virtue,' potentially leading to her being declared 'Venerable.'
The path to sainthood requires evidence of two miracles attributed to her intercession. While no miracles have been officially recognised yet, testimonies like that of Obianuju Ekeocha suggest her spiritual influence continues. Ekeocha credits reading Pakaluk's writings with transforming her from an abortion supporter in an abusive marriage to a fervent pro-life activist within three years, describing this transformation as 'the definition of a miracle.'
If US bishops approve the formal inquiry, Pakaluk's writings and testimonials will be collected for theological study, potentially leading to her beatification and eventual canonization as a Catholic saint.
