Cause opens for beatification of Prayer and Life Workshops founder
The Archdiocese of Guadalajara opened the diocesan phase of the beatification and canonization cause for Capuchin Father Ignacio Larrañaga, founder of the Prayer and Life Workshops. The Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints granted a nihil obstat, and Guadalajara Cardinal Archbishop Francisco Robles Ortega issued the decree opening the process. Auxiliary Bishop Juan Manuel Muñoz Curiel praised Larrañaga as a mystic who made Franciscan spirituality accessible and taught millions to pray. The diocesan tribunal will interview 50 witnesses from 10 countries and examine Larrañaga’s writings and other documents before preparing a positio for the Vatican dicastery.
2 days ago
The Archdiocese of Guadalajara has opened the diocesan phase of the beatification and canonization cause for Capuchin priest Ignacio Larrañaga Orbegozo, founder of the Prayer and Life Workshops. The inquiry will examine his life, writings and reputation for holiness; he has not been declared venerable or beatified. 1
The process formally opened on Oct. 6, 2026, after the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints granted a nihil obstat, or “no objection.” Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, issued the decree initiating the diocesan investigation. Guadalajara is conducting this stage because Larrañaga died there in 2013, aged 85. 1
Auxiliary Bishop Juan Manuel Muñoz Curiel, speaking at the ceremony, described Larrañaga as a persistent seeker of God and a contemporary mystic. He said Larrañaga made Franciscan contemplative spirituality accessible through a simple approach to prayer, and presented the cause as a reminder that holiness is a vocation for all baptized people. 1
The diocesan postulator, Bishop Óscar Sánchez Barba, submitted an initial list of 50 witnesses from 10 countries, 47 books and booklets by Larrañaga, and other documents about his life and ministry. A tribunal will interview witnesses and examine the materials before preparing a positio for review by the Vatican dicastery. 1
If the Vatican concludes that Larrañaga practiced Christian virtues to a heroic degree and the pope approves the relevant decree, he could be declared venerable. Beatification would require recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. 1
Born in Spain’s Basque Country on May 4, 1928, Larrañaga entered Capuchin formation at age 12 and was ordained a priest in 1952. He went to Chile in 1959, where he undertook pastoral work, and later traveled widely as a preacher and spiritual guide. 1
After beginning spiritual gatherings in Brazil in 1974, he founded the Prayer and Life Workshops in Santiago in 1984. The workshops aimed to teach prayer and deepen laypeople’s Christian lives; they later spread across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. In 2022, the Holy See recognized them as an international private association of the faithful of pontifical right. 1
Larrañaga also wrote books on prayer, suffering, trust in God and contemplative spirituality, including The Silence of Mary and works on Francis of Assisi. He died in Guadalajara on Oct. 28, 2013, while there for a formation gathering. 1*
Contemplative prayer as a path to holiness
Contemplative prayer is a path to holiness because it draws you into communion with Christ, where the Holy Spirit gradually forms your heart in love. Its fruit is not simply a feeling of quiet or a special experience: it is charity made visible in how you live and treat others.
In practice, contemplation is a loving attention to God: resting in faith before Jesus, pondering his word and saving mysteries, and receiving his loving gaze. It can be simple and wordless, but it is not an attempt to empty the mind or produce an extraordinary state. God’s gift—not a technique—lies at its heart.
This prayer belongs within the life of the Church. The Eucharist celebrates Christ’s mystery, and contemplative prayer lets that mystery take deeper root so it can shape your actions. Thus silence before God should open into greater patience, mercy, fidelity, and service; contemplation and charity belong together.
You need not wait for unusual experiences to begin. Set aside a regular time, become quiet, and turn your attention to Christ—perhaps with a Gospel passage, a mystery of the Rosary, or a few words of prayer. When your attention wanders, gently return to him. Teresa of Ávila’s account reminds us that sincere vocal prayer, too, can lead a person into deeper contemplation; the decisive thing is faithful turning toward God, not mastering a particular method.
The path also involves conversion and virtue. Teresa cautions against mistaking a little reflection or an appealing prayer experience for holiness: genuine growth appears in surrender to God and in the virtues. Contemplation does not make you withdraw from ordinary responsibilities; it helps you carry them out with a heart increasingly united to Christ.