WATCH: Louisiana’s “Little Cajun Saint” Finally Arrives at the Vatican

Richard, LA (KPEL News) - The journey to sainthood for Charlene Richard, dubbed the "Little Cajun Saint," began with her death in 1959 in Richard, Louisiana. Now, the decision about whether she should be canonized is in the hands of the Vatican.

On January 13, 2024, a ceremony in her hometown northwest of Rayne closed out the diocesan phase of the cause for canonization. The event was led by Fr. Korey Lavergne, the pastor of Charlene's church parish of St. Edward, who called it a "once in a lifetime kind of day."

On that day, during an "unrepeatable ceremony," Bishop Deshotel of the Diocese of Lafayette also blessed the documents, and the the people involved in the preparation of the documents gave their oaths that they have completed their tasks.

The following week, Fr. Lavergne and other priests from Louisiana, began their journey to Rome to deliver the more than 1,000 page body of work to the Vatican. The Roman Phase of Inquiry began, and designees with the Catholic Church will be considering the information and decide whether to recommend Charlene for sainthood.

Fr. Lavergne documented several steps on their journey on his Facebook page, and it's clear that even priests can be impressed by their Catholic experiences.

Louisiana Catholics know that everything in the church is done with not only reverence, but a lot of ceremony. We do know how to laugh, too. (And we have the memes to prove it. See at the end of this article.)

Hundreds and hundreds of people over the years have asked Charlene for intercession and are praying that the "Little Cajun Saint" from south Louisiana is canonized. A few people joined the priests as they made the trek to Rome but, thanks to Fr. Korey, we can all share in the excitement.