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Local Matters – May 25th, 2019

May 25, 2019

Little Audrey Santo, with guests Linda Santo; host Connie Murphy and Mary Ann Harold

Courtesy of the Little Audrey Santo Foundation

A recent letter from Linda Santo and family

Dear friends in Jesus Christ,

We continue to remain open with the permission and support of our Bishop Robert McManus. The five bleeding hosts remain with the bishop per the request of Audrey’s family. The sixth bleeding host remains in Little Audrey’s chapel and the seventh bleeding host is in Little Audrey’s room. God continues to send the oil. We are currently working on the future canonization of Little Audrey

Now Little Audrey needs your help. Little Audrey could be the first American pro-life saint, a much needed saint in this world today. Please pray for us to accomplish her cause for sainthood.

We look forward to hearing about the wondrous ways Little Audrey has touched your lives. Please report all favors through little Audrey’s intercession.

What a gift she had been to us here on earth and even more powerfully now in heaven as our future saint. Thank you for all the masses and prayers for Audrey and her family.

Please help us spread her gifts with donations payable to the Little Audrey Santo Foundation.

All donations are tax deductible and used for Little Audrey’s cause for her Beatification and Canonization.

May Little Audrey continue to intercede for you in heaven, and may God bless you in your families. Please pray for little Audrey’s Cause for Canonization. Please spread the message and join us for all the events.

We are available to speak at your church conferences or prayer groups. Please contact us at (508) 755-8712 if you’re interested. (508) 755-8712

In Jesus Christ,

Linda Santo and family

Rush Transcript

Announcer: Thank you for listening to WQPH 89.3 FM Shirley-Fitchburg, Queen of Perpetual help and welcome to another edition of WQPH’s Local Matters this week on local matters is a broadcast from 2009. It’s prerecorded, no phone calls please. It’s about the life of little Audrey Santo. Mary Anne Harold and Connie Murphy; they host the interview and their guests were Audrey Santo, Mother Linda Santo, Robert Keen Esquire, and Father Foley. They also discuss how to get recognition as the Saint.

Mary Ann Harold: Welcome to a special broadcast of eternal life radio. We so happy to have some special guests here today and we’re going to talk about the life of Audrey Santo. Joining us today is Linda Santo, her mother, Robert Keen Esq. the attorney and vice postulator of her cause and Father Foley.

Connie Murphy: Welcome to a special program, our special guest Linda Santo, the mother of Little Audrey, Father John Foley, Audrey’s pastor and president of Little Audrey Santo Foundation, and Robert Keen Esq. vice president of the little Audrey Santo foundation. Thank you for being with us.

Mary Ann Harold: Father Foley. Thank you so much for coming here today. Could you lead us in an opening prayer?

Father Foley: Yes. I’d like to pray the prayer for the beatification of Little Audrey Santo, and so let’s beginning of the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Eternal Father, I thank you for the gift of Audrey Santo and for her extraordinary witness to the world that all life, no matter how small, broken, or wounded remains forever precious in your eyes, grant that she may be venerated as a saint for the glory of God. Head the request of all those who seek her intercession, especially the grace for which we now pray. Let us mention our intentions. I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mary Ann Harold: Thank you, Father. Father, could you tell us how you came to know Audrey?

Father Foley: Actually, I met Audrey’s mothers about 15 years ago when I was, became the pastor of Christ The King church in Worcester. I really didn’t know very much about Audrey at that time. And I had been told about Audrey. And like so many of these things somewhat reticent about getting involved in it. You’re not quite sure how true or untrue or how strange or it might be. And so I’ve actually met Linda and she invited me down for coffee and I went down to the house and I met little Audrey for the first time. And I was, since then, I’ve been their pastor. I felt an obligation to the family just as a, as a pastor and later I did it as a friend and, and certainly you guys, somebody who wanted to be involved with the family and bring them comfort and, and help them and their particular needs.

Mary Ann Harold: That’s beautiful, Father. I have a question here. We have little Audrey’s mom here, a really wonderful, wonderful Christian mother, Linda Santo. Thank you, Linda, for coming down from Worcester. And could you share with us a little bit about Audrey and her struggles?

Linda Santo: Well, thank you for having us. It’s an honor to be here. Audrey was a very precocious little girl. She could read by the time she was two years old. She was very bright. Quest. She had older brothers and sisters. So but she was very faith filled. Even at that point. She she had an understanding that was a little bit beyond, well, I would say an average two year old. She was three when this happened to her. And of course she was baptized and, and so she had no sin and she remained having no sent all her life, we believe. Being precocious, she had a strength about her. And I think part of what happened with Audrey and her strength came from the Lord and we all had that in the family. We were practicing Catholics then and now. And so it wasn’t a new thing. What was new about Audrey was the phenomenon that was going on around her and the call to conversion. Even when this happened to her when she was in the hospital, she had there were Jewish people that were fasting and praying for her. They were Mormons fasting and praying for her. So it became, you know, it was very ecumenical. She was she called to a lot of different people in this, in the situation that we were in.

Mary Ann Harold: Linda, I think this is beautiful. There are so many people who are familiar with little Audrey, but we’re finding a lot of people are listening today that might not know what happened to her. Could you tell us that?

Linda Santo: Sure. She fell in our family pool and was revived. She was brought on to what was Worcester city hospital at the time. And she was her pediatrician actually was there was August 9th, and it was, his wedding anniversary was coming out of the chapel and he was there and available to her because she was revived and so on. They wanted to make sure that she was stable. So they transferred her to a UMass medical center and everyone knows the story. She was overdosed drugs there. She was given 750 milligrams of phenobarbitel, which would kill a grown man. And she remained there from August 9th to November 14th of 1987 with a series of events that happened in the hospital to her. But we brought her home immediately from there. She was not placed anywhere else. She came right home with us and we set up 24 hour nursing and her doctor’s visited her at home and when needed to be, she would come into Boston to see a doctor, but ordinarily they came to her. And that’s really what happened to her. This also happened you know, to a lot of other children there, but not going home is a difficult situation. People called and asked how I brought her home and we didn’t know that this was the thing

Mary Ann Harold: Father Foley, did you know a little Audrey at this point? Did you know the Santo family? How did you come to know them later?

Father Foley: I came to know them later when I came to Christ The King, 15 years ago. So she was about seven years old when I first came to meet her and I went down to the family. And you know, over the ensuing years I’ve come to really know the family much better and experience all of the different things that were going on at the house and the people that came to visit, not just locally but also internationally. And so it was a little girl who was able to, to say anything or to do anything. People from all over the world came to visit. And to see this young child.

Connie Murphy: If you’re just joining us today, we are doing a program on Little Audrey of Worcester with our special guest, Linda Santo, Audrey’s mother, Father Foley, and attorney Robert Keen,

Mary Ann Harold: We were talking a little bit about what happened to little Audrey, her accident and all the things that started to go wrong. And the witness that came from this cliff. Pick this up from here.

Linda Santo: Well, the accident actually happened on August 9th, 1987 and the first medical documented time with AM you know what man destroys God redeems on August 9th, 1945 at AM the bomb exploded on Nagasaki, Japan, the largest Christian community in Japan. As we know, much of that was destroyed. And the effects are still there. That church is on Santos street in Japan which shows us that, you know, God connects everything. It’s like a tapestry. We brought Audrey home and many things began to happen. Things like statues turning, rosaries turning gold, as I know that’s happened in many places. And statutes started to weep oil. The first one was Our Lady of Guadalupe, of course, she is the, Our Lady of America is the mother of the unborn, as most people know now. And it just started weeping and we called a number of people that we trusted and they checked it out and looked at it. And of course, from there, I mean, I wasn’t ready to tell people, but it just became explosive. So kind of like what what Jesus did, you know, we got people’s attention with his miracles and he did it again with Audrey with the different phenomenon that happened around her. So she did remain home with us and had very special, great care, great staff of people family. And certainly her nursing staff and her doctors and the family was very, very incorporated in her care. Everyone knew how to do something and, and it was a lot. It was 24 hours, you know, you didn’t sleep because the nurse couldn’t sleep on 11 to 7. You had to be awake with her. So it was, it was a great love, a great love that, that really brought us all together and performed what we had to two for Audrey to care for her, which was like I said, a lot of work, but it was great work. Nothing better than to take care of Christ. Right. That’s right.

Connie Murphy: Father Foley, can you share with us what you experienced as a spiritual ministered to Audrey and her family?

Father Foley: Actually it started off rather slow. I first met the family. They had been a history of having a mass for the family, and some friends on that particular day in August. And the first several years it was maybe a few pews, few of family, and some friends. And, and the next year a little bit larger, by the time I got to Christ, the king got about a half a church that were coming on that particular day and church holds 500 people, so there was a good number, this went on and grew each year for a couple of years. And then Mother Angelica happened to air one of the CDs that was done on Audrey. And I started getting calls from from Guam and from England and from South America and Canada and all across the country. And people asking about this particular phenomenon, who is this little Audrey? What was happening? And we had mass scheduled that August and 3000 people showed up at our door. Which was a little scary because it was a very hot day in August and we had no place to put these people. The next year I went to Holy Cross stadium and finally just became so large and it became very expensive for the family. We decided to have a healing service for children, and, on that particular day, and that was very successful. We had a parents come with their children, oh, days ahead, to bring them for healing. And several head claimed healings for their children. That was the thing that what really I think got my attention was the spirituality of the people who came. Now granted that many times phenomenon like this can can attract people who are just gawking and trying to look at the phenomenon. But many people came with very deep faith and, and many came who had claimed that member of their family or themselves or someone they knew had been healed by the prayers that were offered for them. And so it, it, it really became a phenomenon to itself, but it took many years for that to happen. It wasn’t something that somebody just sat down and said, how can we make this be a dramatic event? That kind of happened by itself. And, and to that, I give a lot of weight because it wasn’t something that we originated. In fact, it was something that happened to us and we tried to react to it as best we could to to accommodate the so many pilgrims that had come to the church.

Connie Murphy: Where does, is Bob Keen Esq. who has a very special assignment. Can you tell us what work with Little Audrey you have been involved with and how you got involved?

Robert Keen Esq.: Well, I first got introduced to a little Audrey as a visitor on a pilgrimage if you wish. I probably in the late nineties I used to go visit the house and the chapel, Leah and pray and they had services that have a mass there on occasion. And and also then later Father Foley’s celebrations that occurred at the church. And then the one at Holy Cross, I attended those. And on one occasion I happened to be the temporary guardian of the missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. And I brought that to a Little Audrey’s chapel. And it actually, I began to weep tears a while. It was at the alter there. And that was a very a moving moment. I think you were there too at that time, Mary Ann, is that correct?

Mary Ann Harold: Yes, the high, I have a picture actually that was unbelievable, which was a grace. As you know, we’re saying we’re not looking for spectacular things to happen, but we’re looking for what the Lord is pointing us to when phenomenon happened. So now you’re more involved with the process–to a canonization process, right?

Robert Keen Esq.: Yes. I’m, a friend of mine who happened to be in Rome called me and indicated that he felt that–Audrey had just recently deceased–and he felt that the canonization process for Audrey was going to start moving forward, that Rome had a great interest in her cause, and he asked me if I would be willing to come and involved in it and to help organize a off of whatever assistance I could to the process. And I agreed that I would, I call a Linda and we set up a meeting as a result of that. We contacted Dr. Ambrozy from Rome and made arrangements for him to come over and we met with Bishop McManus then I think in the August of ’07. Is that correct? And then we met again, I believe in September, and the bishop indicated that he was a very willing to help in any way to move the process forward. So I then began to draft documents for Audrey’s canonization the process, which is the now known as the Little Audrey Santo Foundation. And these were documents that had to be drafted both economically to satisfy Rome that they were on the proper form to be presented to the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. And I also had to have them in such a form that they would meet the requirements of the US corporation laws and would be able to be a 501c3 Corporation, a nonprofit corporation, so that when people sent in their donations that they would be a tax deductible, which is a benefit to all parties concerned. So that process took quite a while between getting the approvals of Rome and a meeting with the bishop. And ultimately in September of ’08, it was, I believe was at Linda. I said, Tim Provo h we finally met again with a doctor room, Rosie and the and that will actually they met and a doctor room prosey and the bishop. And on September 11th, and the Bishop or I recognized on that date the little Audrey Santo Foundation as a canonical organization, which would then be allowed to move forward with the process of Audrey’s a canonization.

Connie Murphy: We have a caller. Hello caller. Hello. Could you tell us your name and what city you live in which of our guests you would like to speak to?

Caller: Hi, this is John. I would like to address the question what is the judge is pitching on the destiny of children who have not reached the age of reason and so far he’s going to have him that does babies as opposed to an baptize babies.

Father Foley: Well, this isn’t the age of reason that a child can be baptized upon birth. I mean, it doesn’t have anything to do with were there, the age of reason was always canonically seven years old. Audrey had been baptized. In fact I confirmed Audrey with the permission of the Bishop several years ago, even though she was not able to respond. So the disposition of the church has always, it’s the same. It’s never changed. As far as on baptize child. Well, God in His grace will take care of that. And Audrey on the other hand was baptized and was confirmed. So it really, in this particular case, it didn’t apply.

Mary Ann Harold: Thank you, Father, for that answer. And thank you, John for your call. And we have another question for Audrey. One of the most incredible, a phenomena that happened at Little Audrey’s was the fact that there were five eucharistic miracles. Linda, could you tell us a little bit about that?

Linda Santo: Well, they were consecrated at five different masses. The first one was consecrated by Bishop Flanagan, our former deceased bishop, second bishop of Wister. He was at our home and in fact, the national image of Our Lady Guadalupe was there. And it was kind of a private mass, not real public, but there was probably about 70 people there. And anyway, that was the first host. And then there were four more that were consecrated at mass at that bled. And the blood was tested. It was human blood and they now remain with our bishop in his home, in his chapel, in his tabernacle. I asked him before I do, went to heaven if he would please take them after she went to heaven. And he agreed and that’s what has been done and they remained there with him.

Connie Murphy: Bob, can you tell us about how to encourage and investigates the candidate for sainthood?

Robert Keen, Esq.: Well, it’s a very long process. Initially when, as we have done a, we have now filed out our documents with Rome and a, the process now is in a waiting stage as far as Rome is concerned because there was a five year waiting period from the date of death until the actual canonization process will move forward. In the meantime low, we will have the opportunity to preserve testimony and to gather ’em all the evidence that we have as to Audrey’s holiness and as to the events that have taken place during her life that may reach the stage or being considered as miracles. Great conversions, admin, numerous and numerous faith healings, so to speak, that have occurred in Audrey’s presence. It seems to be a phenomena that affects all age groups. I know lender, I had an experience with us, some young a athletes, I believe they were a students from high school that went in to see Audrey. They were very nonchalant or typical teenagers before they went in there, you know, like a Ho-hum, what are we doing here? And they went into the room and they immediately became emotional and to the point of almost being distraught and many had felt that was one of the greatest experiences of the young life at that time. All these events we’ll have to be recorded. It is my intention to record them, more or less in a manner that we hope will be a satisfactory to Rome so that they won’t have to be redone. In other words, we will have a stenographer present when now the testimony is taken, the people will be sworn in under oath and we will probably document it with a video also. And so that will all be presented to Rome at the end of the five year period, and to the bishop first, of course, and whatever the bishop considers a appropriate to be sent on to Rome, which I would assume would be a significant portion of that will then go to Rome. But we’re looking forward to that. It is going to be a very tedious process for us during this period to assemble all this testimony because during Audrey’s lifetime, she had extensive visits of many people and Linda has a voluminous testimonies as to events that occured. How many volumes do you have a lender approximately?

Linda Santo: I mean, they’re all, well, the nursing notes themselves and doctor’s notes there 24, seven for 20 years. So that’s, that’s a lot, you know, of writing about Audrey. And, and in reference to conversions, we also had nurses that converted. We had an agnostic that was the toughest. We had a baptist nurse and a Jewish nurse. Then they all converted to Catholicism and they’re all practicing Catholics. So I’m sure there’s multitudes out that we have tons and tons and tons of conversion stories and other kinds of miracles too. But that is important and it’s important to our Lord.

Mary Ann Harold: I’m sure everyone out there wants to know more about Audrey. I think you want to contact with central and we want to give you some numbers. If you have a pencil or pen handy. The Apostolate of a Silent Soul [Now called Little Audrey Santo Foundation] is the name of the group and are located at 68 S Flag street in Worcester. And they have a phone number and they also have a website if you’d like to check them out. The website is www.littleaudrysanto.org. And the phone number if you’d like to call is (508) 755-8712. And you know, they really need your help. There’s so much that has to be done to so much prayer that needs to be raised up to support all of the people who are going forward with this movement, to have little Audrey canonized. They need financial contributions. I’m praying that some generous throw out the will help them in the exorbitant expenses that they incur trying to move this process forward. And why is it important, Linda, that a little Audrey be a saint? Is she connected with the pro-life movement? Could you address that question?

Linda Santo: Well when Dr Ambrozy first came in September of 2007, he said that what he would like to do there from the Congregation of Saints is to canonize Audrey as the pro-life Saint. And of course we know that pro-life is from the womb to the tomb. Or as we say at home, if it’s infanticide, genocide or homicide, it’s the wrong side. So it doesn’t matter. You know it’s whatever, it’s war, the death penalty. Audrey is a statement of life and an incredible Culture of Death that is happening even more and more now as we all know as Catholics with the abortion laws changing and the whole thing in Audrey’s telling us that God doesn’t make junk, that life is truly, truly important and that we need to value it at every level.

Robert Keen, Esq.: I have to make a little correction. In reference to the name of the organization, the Apostolate of a Silent Soul was the name of the organization when Audrey was alive. It is now the Little Audrey Santo Foundation.

Mary Ann Harold: A blessed Eastertide. See you then.

Announcer: Thank you for listening to another edition of WQPH is Local Matters. We hope you enjoyed the broadcast and hope you have a blessed week.

Announcer: A letter from Linda Santo and family:

Dear friends in Jesus Christ,

We continue to remain open with the permission and support of our Bishop Robert McManus. The five bleeding hosts remain with the bishop per the request of Audrey’s family. The sixth bleeding host remains in little Audrey’s chapel and the seventh bleeding host is in little Audrey’s room. God continues to send the oil. We are currently working on the future canonization of little now. Little Audrey needs your help. Little Audrey could be the first American pro-life saint, a much needed saint in this world today. Please pray for us to accomplish her cause for sainthood. We look forward to hearing about the wondrous ways little Audrey has touched your lives. Please report all favors through little Audrey’s intercession. What a gift she had been to us here on earth and even more powerfully now in heaven as our future saying thank you for all the masses and prayers for Audrey and her family. Please help us spread her gifts with donations payable to the Little Audrey Santo Foundation. All donations are tax deductible and used for little Audrey’s caused for her beatification and canonization. May Little Audrey continue to intercede for you in heaven. And may God bless you in your families. Please pray for little Audrey’s cause for canonization. Please spread the message and join us for all the events we are available to speak at your church conferences or prayer groups. Please contact us at (508) 755-8712 if you’re interested. (508) 755-8712

In Jesus Christ,

Linda Santo and family