By: Katrina Genereux
A year ago, the Sister Annella Guild did not know quite what to expect. The Church has an established process for a Cause of Canonization, but no one can predict where it will lead, who will become part of it, what stories will emerge, or how devotion to a Servant of God will grow.
Throughout this first year, our leadership team has often reflected that we are learning as we go. Monsignor David Baumgartner, JCL, Episcopal Delegate and President of the Sister Annella Guild, and Amanda Zurface, JCL, Diocesan Postulator, explain that canon law school does not specifically prepare you to lead a Cause of Canonization. It’s not often you open a cause; it really could be once in a lifetime. This specialized work requires further training and guidance, and we are deeply grateful to those who have trained, advised, and supported us since 2020.
Whether you have followed Sister Annella’s Cause from the beginning or are just discovering her story, we are glad you are here. What a year it has been!
Related: Servant of God Annella Zervas: What We’re Celebrating 100 Years Later
The Years of Preparation That Led to the Opening
Long before an official Cause was opened, people recognized something special in Sister Annella.
Patrick Norton rediscovered her story and began asking questions, reaching out to Church leaders to explore whether the time had come to open up her Cause of Canonization.
Patrick was eventually introduced to canon lawyer Amanda Zurface and asked her to serve as Diocesan Postulator. Zurface was then introduced to Monsignor Robert Sarno, JCD, who had served for decades with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome, Italy. He began providing the specialized training and guidance needed to undertake this work.
Following initial conversations with Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the Sister Annella Guild was established and a Board of Directors formed. Bishop Cozzens appointed Monsignor David Baumgartner to serve as Episcopal Delegate and President of the Sister Annella Guild. On behalf of the Guild, Zurface then submitted a formal petition requesting that Bishop Cozzens open the Cause, which he accepted.
Years of persistence and preparation had brought Sister Annella’s story to a new chapter. On October 9, 2025, the faithful of the Diocese of Crookston and beyond, coming from all parts of the country, gathered to witness the formal opening of her Cause and pray for the work ahead.
Related: How Patrick Norton Resparked Devotion to Sister Annella Zervas
1. Servant of God Annella Zervas’ Cause of Canonization Officially Opened
The Cause of Canonization of Sister Annella Zervas formally began with the First Session of the Diocesan Inquiry on October 9, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston, Minnesota.
Mass was at the heart of the celebration, with additional opportunities organized by the Sister Annella Guild to help those gathered encounter her life and story. An archival display featured her personal belongings and first-class relics. Patrick Norton recounted what he believes was an appearance of Sister Annella to him and explained how that experience inspired his efforts to advance her Cause. An organ recital honored her love of music and her apostolate as an organist.
Members of Benedictine communities, clergy, Knights of Columbus, Guild leadership, the Zervas family, and faithful from across Minnesota and the United States gathered for the occasion. During the First Session, the officials entrusted with the Diocesan Inquiry took their oaths before God and the Church, pledging to fulfill their responsibilities.
With the opening of her Cause, Sister Annella received the title Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB.
The preparation for this milestone also equipped members of the team to assist a neighboring diocese. Less than a year later, on September 22, 2026, the Diocese of Duluth opened the Cause of Canonization of Servant of God Joseph Francis Buh, drawing on the training and experience gained through Sister Annella’s Cause. Within its first year, the work begun in Crookston was already bearing fruit beyond the diocese, helping another local Church undertake its own inquiry.
2. The Work of the Diocesan Inquiry Began
The opening of the Cause marked the beginning of the diocesan inquiry into the Servant of God’s life, heroic virtues, reputation for holiness, and reputation for intercessory power. As Diocesan Postulator Amanda Zurface explains, “Through witness testimony and archival materials, the inquiry seeks to provide the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints with an account of Sister Annella’s life within the historical, cultural, and religious context in which she lived.”
Two groups carry out distinct but complementary responsibilities. The Tribunal, led by Episcopal Delegate Monsignor David Baumgartner, gathers witness testimony. Its members include Promoter of Justice Father Andrew Obel, JCD, and Notaries Hope Bach and Teresa Cymbaluk.
During these interviews, the Episcopal Delegate asks witnesses about Sister Annella’s life and death, her reputation for holiness, and devotion to her. Questions explore whether people continue to visit her tomb, commemorate anniversaries associated with her life, or regard her as a holy person. Witnesses are also asked about extraordinary events or favors they believe may be attributable to her intercession.
The Historical Commission, led by Father Cyril Gorman, OSB, searches for, copies, and studies documents relating to Sister Annella’s life held in archives across Minnesota. Its members include Peter Carry, Father Adam Hamness, Keri Youngstrand, and Deacon Stu Longtin.
“Over the past year, this work has brought previously unknown photographs to light and given individuals and families opportunities to share personal stories and materials preserved for a century,” Monsignor Baumgartner explains.
Each contribution helps build a fuller historical record. “Together, these sources deepen our understanding of Sister Annella’s friendship with Christ and her response to suffering,” Zurface adds. “They provide evidence for the Church’s discernment of whether she lived the Christian virtues to a heroic degree.”
The Guild also continues to receive reports of favors people believe they have received through Sister Annella’s intercession. These reports remain confidential and are submitted directly to the Diocesan Postulator to help document her reputation for intercessory power. If you have a favor to report, please contact the Diocesan Postulator.
3. Servant of God Annella Zervas’ Story Reached an International Audience
Sister Annella’s story was first known locally in Moorhead and the Saint Joseph and Saint Cloud areas of Minnesota. Over the 100 years since her death, devotion to her has spread beyond those communities, and her witness is now reaching people around the world. That growing interest has been especially evident during this first year of her Cause.
“We receive requests from around the world about translating Ticket for Eternity, Sister Annella’s official biography,” Diocesan Postulator Amanda Zurface explained. “For example, a convent in Kraków, Poland, contacted us about translating Guild materials into Polish for the sisters’ private devotion and formation. These requests reflect the purpose of our work: helping more people draw closer to God through Sister Annella’s story.”
A notable highlight was Vatican News capturing Sister Annella’s story and sharing her life and Cause with an international audience. Her story has also been shared through other Catholic news outlets, radio interviews, articles, podcasts, videos, presentations, diocesan and parish events, and social media. The Sister Annella Guild was represented at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, offering another opportunity to introduce her life and Cause to Catholics from across the United States.
Each article, interview, presentation, holy card, book, video clip, and personal conversation carries the same invitation, as Monsignor Baumgartner explained: “Come and meet Sister Annella. God wants to do something through her story in your own story!”
4. The Centennial Honored Her Life and Introduced Her to a New Generation
The first year of the Cause coincided with a significant anniversary: 100 years since Sister Annella’s death on August 14, 1926. As Father Robert Schreiner, STL, Spiritual Director of the Sister Annella Guild, reflected, “With God, there are no coincidences!”
The centennial offered an opportunity to honor Sister Annella’s life and introduce her story to a new generation. Throughout the year, the Guild developed resources, hosted events, and provided opportunities for prayer and reflection, including a Recollection Day led by Father Schreiner.
The principal centennial celebration took place in Moorhead on August 8, 2026. The day included the blessing of the Zervas family monument at Saint Joseph Cemetery, Mass celebrated by Bishop Cozzens at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church, and a reception and program. Together, these gatherings brought many of those who have preserved and shared Sister Annella’s story through the years into conversation with those newly discovering her life.
The celebration also featured the premiere of a new mini documentary, extending the Guild’s efforts to share Sister Annella’s witness with a wider audience.
These opportunities for learning and reflection will continue on October 22, when the Guild hosts a special webinar reviewing the first year of the Cause, explaining the work underway, and discussing the next steps.
5. A Growing Community Helped Support Her Cause
One of the most encouraging developments of this first year has been the growing community supporting the Cause of Canonization of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB.
Awareness of Sister Annella’s story has spread through parishes, schools, families, religious communities, and Catholic organizations. Knights of Columbus councils, Serra Clubs, Benedictine communities, clergy, educators, volunteers, and donors have contributed their time, talents, and resources to the work of the Sister Annella Guild. New members of the Guild’s Board of Directors have brought additional expertise and connections to communities across the country.
The Knights of Columbus have also encouraged local councils to help fund the Zervas family monument at Saint Joseph Cemetery in Moorhead. The monument commemorates the centennial of Sister Annella’s death and honors the family that nurtured her vocation and supported her gift of herself to God and the Church. It also makes the family’s graves more visible to the growing number of pilgrims who visit to pray for Sister Annella’s canonization and seek her intercession.
For some, this year has brought their first introduction to Sister Annella. For others who have known her story for decades, the opening of her Cause marks a milestone for which they have long prayed.
As this community grows, more people are seeking Sister Annella’s intercession, entrusting their needs to God through her prayers. We invite you to join them by praying the Prayer for the Canonization of Servant of God Annella Zervas and sharing her story with your parish, family, or community.
What Can Happen in a Year?
A year ago, the Sister Annella Guild joined Bishop Cozzens and the faithful in Crookston for the opening of Sister Annella’s Cause of Canonization. Looking back, there is much to be grateful for.
Witness testimony and archival research, along with photographs and documents preserved by individuals and families for generations, have brought new details of Sister Annella’s life to light. The Guild celebrated the centennial of her death, premiered a mini-documentary, and helped her story reach people across the country and around the world. The experience gained along the way also helped the Diocese of Duluth open the Cause of Servant of God Joseph Francis Buh.
There is still plenty of work ahead. The diocesan inquiry requires time and attention from the officials entrusted with it. As their work continues, the Guild will keep sharing Sister Annella’s story and raising funds to support the Cause.
No one can know what the next year will bring, but this first year has given the Guild and its growing community many reasons to thank God and look ahead with hope for all He is doing through Sister Annella’s story.
The Sister Annella Guild thanks everyone who has prayed, volunteered, donated, attended an event, reported a favor, or shared a photograph or historical document. That gratitude extends to everyone who has introduced a friend, family member, or parish community to Sister Annella. Each of you has helped carry her story forward.
Please continue to pray for the Cause of Canonization of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB.