Servant of God Ruth Pakaluk's Cause Is Suspended
Her foundation announced it is suspending the petition and leaving the matter to God's hands and the Church's judgment.
The Ruth V.K. Pakaluk Foundation announced on Oct. 28 that it is suspending the petition to open the cause for canonization of Ruth V.K. Pakaluk, a Massachusetts wife, mother of seven, Catholic convert and pro-life activist who died of cancer on Sept. 23, 1998, at age 41.
In a statement posted on its website, the foundation said the decision rests on "considerations that extend beyond Ruth herself, her life, or her witness." It added that "the matter rests in God's hands and will proceed according to the judgment of the Church."
In late September 2025, the Vatican granted the Diocese of Worcester permission to proceed with the cause. Pakaluk then received the title Servant of God.
Convert, Mother and Pro-Life Witness
A native of New Jersey and a Harvard graduate, Ruth Pakaluk entered the Catholic Church with her husband, Michael Pakaluk, shortly after graduation. The couple raised seven children. She later served as president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life and spoke widely while raising her family and ministering at St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester.
Her public witness continued into the final months of her illness. Despite advanced cancer, she completed the 1998 March for Life in Washington. She collapsed afterward and died later that year.
A Lay Call to Holiness
Michael Pakaluk, now an economist and philosopher at The Catholic University of America, said he viewed his wife's cause through the lens of the Second Vatican Council's call to holiness for laypeople. He also noted her "countercultural streak" and her love of rock music.
According to the foundation, the suspension does not erase her life or witness; the decision leaves the cause to God's hands and to the Church's judgment.