MIRACULOUS MIRACLES™

Saint — Servant of God Julia Greeley

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Servant of God Julia Greeley
c. 1848 AD, Hannibal, Missouri, United States — enslaved — June 7, 1918 AD, Denver, Colorado, United States
American former slave; Denver 'Angel of Charity'; 20th-century African-American Catholic candidate for sainthood
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, Colorado, United States — shrine, United States
Feast
June 7
Canonized
Cause of canonization opened December 18, 2016 by the Archdiocese of Denver — elevated to Servant of God
Life

Julia Greeley was born around 1848 at Hannibal, Missouri to an enslaved family. Her right eye was destroyed as a young child when the slaveholder struck her mother with a bull-whip and caught Julia's eye.

Following the 1865 emancipation, Julia undertook the systematic domestic-service life — moving to Denver, Colorado in 1878. In 1880, Julia converted to Catholicism at the Sacred Heart Church in Denver.

For 38 years (1880–1918), Julia undertook the systematic Sacred Heart devotion and the personal charitable ministry to the Denver poor. Julia famously:

1. personally distributed food, clothing, and coal to the Denver poor — particularly the poor white families (to avoid embarrassing them, undertaking the distribution at night).

2. undertook the systematic monthly First-Friday Sacred Heart pilgrimage to every Denver fire station — distributing the Sacred Heart badges and leaflets to the Denver firefighters.

3. joined the Franciscan Third Order in 1901.

Julia died at Denver on June 7, 1918 — the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The cause of canonization was opened December 18, 2016 by the Archdiocese of Denver.

Miracles & Phenomena

  • The 'Angel of Charity' of Denver

    Servant of God Julia Greeley's 38-year Denver charitable ministry (1880–1918) — the former-slave Catholic apostolate to the Denver poor — established her as the 'Angel of Charity' of Denver. The Greeley tradition institutionally underpins the 21st-century American Catholic African-American canonization tradition.

Relics
  • Body
    Relics of Servant of God Julia Greeley
    Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, Colorado, United States — shrine (translated 2017 from Mount Olivet Cemetery)

    Her relics were translated in 2017 from the Mount Olivet Cemetery to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.

Iconography
  • Greeley delivering coal at night

    The African-American former slave woman with the disfigured right eye delivering coal and food to the Denver poor at night — the iconography of American Catholic African-American charitable tradition.

Patronages
Catholic African-American Catholic traditionCatholic former-slave Catholic traditionCatholic Sacred Heart devotion in African-American traditionDenver and the Colorado Catholic tradition
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