Members of tribunal and historical commission, along with Bishop David Ricken, took oaths promising to work with honesty and integrity
By William Van de Planque | On Mission
Photography by Andy Bott | For On Mission
GREEN BAY, WI — The cause for canonization of Servant of God Adele Brice, seer of Our Lady of Champion, moved forward with the opening session of the diocesan inquiry into her life at St. Joseph Chapel on the diocesan offices campus last Friday, February 27, 2026.
Bishop David Ricken declared Brice a servant of God on January 30, 2026, with the promulgation of a decree to open her cause for beatification and canonization. The Diocese of Green Bay will conduct a thorough investigation of the historical and virtuous aspects of Brice’s life. Following this investigation, with the Vatican’s approval, the diocese hopes that she will be declared “venerable.”
One more step precedes a person’s official canonization in the Catholic Church, and that is beatification, or declaring that person a “blessed,” which requires a proven miracle.
Friday’s historic ceremony, which had taken place only 60 times in United States history prior to last Friday, was marked by oaths taken by officials of the inquiry, including, among others, Bishop Ricken and members of the tribunal and historical commission.
“There’s a long, long process the Church uses meticulously with many things laid out before us to follow,” Bishop Ricken said. “The first phase is the diocesan phase. Today, we are appointing the personnel for this particular process at the diocesan level.”
The primary role of the tribunal is to interview several witnesses, people who have experienced prayers answered by the intercession of Brice, or people who knew, through Brice’s relatives, about her life. The tribunal consists of the episcopal delegate, the promoter of justice and the notary.
Bishop Ricken appointed Fr. John Girotti, the vicar general of the Diocese of Green Bay, as the episcopal delegate of the cause.
“That role is to make sure that the diocesan stage of this process goes smoothly, according to the protocols of the Holy See,” Fr. Girotti said. “I represent Bishop. Bishop oversees this entire process.”
Fr. Dennis Ryan, a senior priest of the Diocese of Green Bay of over 50 years, will serve as the promoter of justice. Bishop Ricken has tasked Fr. Ryan with formulating the questions that the whole tribunal will ask the witnesses.
“(Fr. Ryan) has a particular gift for attention to detail,” Fr. Girotti said.
Tania LeFevre, the executive assistant to Bishop Ricken, will serve as the notary and will assist in interviewing witnesses while authenticating all signatures and documents during the diocesan inquiry.
Other roles of the diocesan inquiry include the postulator and vice postulator, copyist, chancellor, and actor of the cause.
Tammy Basten, the chancellor of the Diocese of Green Bay, will serve the role of authenticating all official documents throughout the inquiry and the diocesan phase of Brice’s cause. Kerry Adam, the vice chancellor of the Diocese of Green Bay, will serve in the role of copyist.
Dr. Peter Murphy, special assistant to Bishop Ricken, will serve as the vice postulator and represent Dr. Valentina Culurgioni, the postulator for the cause in Rome.
“The postulator is the one who presents the case, representing the actor, and who is the expert on all the technical details,” Fr. Girotti said.
The actor of the cause is a role that is not a part of the tribunal or either commission, but it is nonetheless extremely significant.
Every cause for canonization that is opened in the Catholic Church begins with an actor of the cause, which is the entity requesting the Church to investigate the heroic virtue and evidence for possible sainthood of the candidate. In the case of Adele Brice, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, represented at the opening session by Fr. Anthony Stephens, CPM, the rector of the shrine, is the actor of the cause.
After Bishop Ricken opened the ceremony in prayer, Fr. Stephens read from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
The historical and theological commissions serve as the research groups of the diocesan phase of Brice’s cause for canonization.
The historical commission, of which three of five members were present at the opening session, will work to uncover historical facts about Brice’s life.
“(The historical commission) will work to paint a historical picture of Adele Brice during her lifetime and her meaning to us today,” Fr. Girotti said. “Theirs is a very important task.”
Three theological sensors make up the theological commission, and they will work confidentially and independently of one another, using Brice’s writings and testimony about her life to investigate her holiness and virtue. This group will take oaths separately from the opening session of the diocesan inquiry.
“We pray for all of those who accept these responsibilities today to be able to be faithful to the process and open to the truth,” Bishop Ricken said in his opening statement.
Bishop Ricken also highlighted an important focus of this cause: the young adults of the Catholic Church, especially young women.
“You know why I think this is (Brice’s) time?” he said. “Because she was a young adult woman, and young adult women have a great gift to give to the Church, even today.”
Each member of the tribunal and the historical commission, the chancellor and the vice postulator took oaths while placing a hand on the Book of the Gospels and the other over their hearts.
“All of us who will be taking oaths are fulfilling a role that Bishop has entrusted to us, as a successor to the Apostles,” Fr. Girotti said.
Bishop Ricken took a similar oath while holding in one hand his pectoral cross, a ceremonial cross worn around the neck by bishops, cardinals and popes as a sign of apostolic authority.
“What we are experiencing this morning has been 130 years in the making,” Fr. Girotti said. “Adele Brice went home to God in 1896, and all the while, we believe Adele, from heaven, has been preparing our diocese for this moment.”
Bishop Ricken and Fr. Girotti explained to those gathered that the diocesan phase of a sainthood cause alone could take years, but they encouraged the faithful to remain in hopeful prayer.
“Adele persisted and never gave up,” Bishop Ricken said.
See more photos here: onmiss.io/inquiryphotos