Meet 7 ‘Generation X’ Catholics on their way to sainthood

Top row from left to right: Niña Ruiz Abad, Marcelo Henrique Câmara, Sister Cecilia María de la Santa Faz. Bottom row from left to right: Víctor Manuel Schiavoni, Chiara Badano, Rebeca Rocamora. / Credit: Courtesy of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Archdiocese of Florianópolis (Brazil), Archdiocese of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Custodian Movies, Fondazione Chiara Badano and the Archdiocese of Paraná

Lima Newsroom, Feb 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

In addition to some young millennials who are now on their way to sainthood, there are also seven members of Generation X — those born between 1965 and 1980 — who, despite their short lives, left a profound legacy of faith and are an example of holiness for new generations.

Below are profiles of the seven, some already beatified and others in the process of beatification.

  1. Niña Ruiz Abad

Niña Ruiz-Abad was born Oct. 31, 1979, in Quezon City, Philippines, and from an early age showed a deep faith. Raised alongside her sister Mary Anne, she lost her father at the age of 3 and in 1988 she moved with her mother to Sarrat in the northern province of Ilocos Norte.

Ruiz-Abad was noted for distributing rosaries, Bibles, and images of saints, and she especially loved the Eucharist. At the age of 10 she was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that she bore with serenity and joy until her death on Aug. 16, 1993, at the age of 13, after suffering cardiac arrest at school.

Her grave in Sarrat has become a place of pilgrimage.

On March 16, 2024, the Vatican granted the “nihil obstat” (“nothing stands in the way”) for opening her cause for beatification. With this recognition, Ruiz-Abad is now considered a “servant of God.”

Her cause for canonization was officially opened April 7, 2024. If her cause progresses and miracles attributed to her intercession are recognized, she could become one of the youngest saints in the history of the Catholic Church.

2. Marcelo Henrique Câmara

Marcelo Henrique Câmara was born on June 26, 1979, in Florianópolis, Brazil. He was a brilliant young man committed to his faith, a law graduate who worked as a state prosecutor. His conversion occurred during an Emmaus retreat.

He was a catechist, an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, and a member of Opus Dei, finding in the spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá the key to holiness in everyday life. Despite being diagnosed with leukemia, he offered his suffering with joy and hope until his death on March 20, 2008, at the age of 28.

The process of beatification for Câmara officially began on March 8, 2020, when the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints granted the Archdiocese of Florianópolis the “nihil obstat” to investigate his cause.

The postulator of the cause, Father Vitor Galdino Feller, emphasized that Câmara bears witness that holiness is possible in youth and serves as an example for those who seek to live the faith in the midst of the world.

3. Sister Cecilia María of the Holy Face

Sister Cecilia María of the Holy Face was born on Dec. 5, 1973, in San Martin de los Andes, Neuquen province, Argentina. She entered the Discalced Carmelites of Santa Fe at the age of 24, made her first vows at 26, and made her final vows in 2003.

A nurse by profession and a violinist, she stood out for her joy and ever-present smile, even during her battle against tongue cancer with pulmonary metastases. During this difficult time, she continued to pray and offer up her sufferings, convinced that she was close to her encounter with God. She passed away in Buenos Aires in the early hours of June 23, 2016.

In January 2025, the archbishop of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz in Argentina, Sergio Fenoy, decreed the beginning of the cause for beatification and canonization.

In 2024, when signing the edict to begin the process prior to the cause, the prelate highlighted the witness of the nun’s “love and trust in Jesus Christ, even in the midst of the most difficult trials,” assuring that “she has awakened in many hearts the desire for a greater commitment to Christian life.”

4. Rebeca Rocamora

Rebeca Rocamora was a young catechist from Granja de Rocamora in Spain known for her faith, joy, and dedication to others despite the difficult illness that accompanied her since childhood.

Born in 1975, she stood out for her innocence and vitality, and even when facing a serious illness that began to manifest itself at the age of 10, she never lost faith. Her life became a witness to humility and charity, leaving an indelible mark on family, friends, and neighbors. Her example of holiness and fortitude was crowned in the solemn context of Pentecost, when she died at the age of 20.

The process of canonization for Rocamora, initiated in 2009 by the then-bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, Rafael Palmero, has advanced significantly. After completing the diocesan phase, the documentation on her life, heroic virtues, reputation for holiness, and signs of miracles was exhaustively compiled.

These documents have now been sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, marking the next step on her path to sainthood.

5. Chiara “Luce” Badano

Chiara “Luce” Badano (1971–1990) was a young Italian woman known for her witness of love and faith in the midst of suffering. A member of the Focolare movement, from a young age she had a deep life of prayer and a great commitment to charity. At age 16, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an illness she offered to God, refusing morphine in order to remain lucid so she could pray.

In her final months, she dedicated her time to helping others and even donated her corneas so that others could see. Her life, marked by joy, has inspired thousands of young people around the world.

Chiara was beatified on Sept. 25, 2010, in a ceremony held in Rome with the participation of thousands of young people from various countries. She is the first blessed of the Focolare movement.

6. Victor Manuel Schiavoni

Victor Schiavoni was born on Nov. 24, 1977, in the Argentine district of Nogoyá. At the age of 14, he moved to Paraná to complete his studies at the Minor Seminary of Our Lady of the Cenacle.

With a deep religious vocation, he sought the contemplative life and entrusted himself to the Virgin Mary to discern his calling. During a pilgrimage to Luján in 1995, he expressed his desire to offer his life to the Virgin. Shortly after, he began to experience pain in his neck, which led to the diagnosis of leukemia. Despite the suffering, he accepted his illness with serenity, stating: “If the Virgin sends it to me, I accept it. I’m not going to complain.”

During his hospitalization, Victor distinguished himself by his joy, patience, and generosity, always prioritizing the well-being of others. He faced his illness without complaining and maintained a deep life of prayer. On Sept. 7, 1995, at the age of 17, he died, leaving a testimony of faith that impacted those who knew him.

His desire to be buried with the alb of a seminarian reflected his conviction that he had responded to the call of his vocation. His legacy inspired the opening of his cause for beatification, announced on May 8, 2023, by the Archdiocese of Paraná.

7. Carlos Rodolfo Yaryez

Carlos Rodolfo Yaryez was born in Paraná, Argentina, on March 29, 1966, into a Christian family that shaped his future. His life was characterized by a constant search for God, which led him to become involved in Argentine Catholic Action, where he stood out for his apostolic commitment and his leadership.

His testimony of faith became even more evident when, after being diagnosed with leukemia, he accepted his illness with profound trust in God’s will. Throughout his life, he cultivated an intense spirituality based on the Eucharist, adoration, and devotion to the Virgin Mary. He died on Oct. 30, 1990, known for his holiness.

On May 8, 2023, the Archdiocese of Paraná announced the opening of his cause for beatification, recognizing his witness of dedication and Christian love. His memory lives on in places where he spent significant parts of his life, including the headquarters of Catholic Action and St. Martin Hospital, where plaques have been placed in his honor.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.