Santa Cruz woman one step closer to becoming 13th American saint
A Santa Cruz woman named Cora Evans is one step closer to a decades-long journey of becoming a saint.
Evans was a wife, mother, writer, and mystic. Last week, she was declared a servant of God in a unanimous decision by the U.S. Conference of Bishops.
She was best known for her spiritual writings and acts of service.
“She never had a thought that these over 3,000 pages of writing that she had done for her. It was never a thought in her mind these would be published and she would reel any Beni fit from it. It was an act of charity,” said Michael McDevitt, custodian of Evans’ writings.
First born as a Mormon in Utah, Evans later realized her calling to the Catholic faith. She and her husband moved to Los Angeles because they were shunned for converting, and then ended up at Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz mountains.
“There are so many beautiful memories of the Diocese of Monterey for Cora Evans. And living in the redwood trees, there was a special part of her spiritual life,” says McDevitt.
The church calls Evans an example of the Catholic faith and special because of how relatable she is.
“She was a wife, a mother, she lost a child at a very early age — 10 months old. She experienced that hardship. She had suffering physically. The stigmata, for example, is painful but she endured all of that for her faith,” McDevitt said.
The Rev. Daniel Garcia, bishop of the Monterey Diocese, said in a statement, “Her unique writings are filled with the urgency of care for the Earth, the love of God for all, and her desire to see the message of Christ brought to everyone who would hear it.”
Cora died from cancer in Santa Cruz in 1957.
The process to canonization can take decades, the next step is to have theologians and historians at the Vatican review her case. If she passes, she will achieve the next title, venerable.
If Evans becomes a saint, she will be the 13th saint from America.