Minnesota missionary priest named Servant of God as canonization cause opens

The Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, formally opened the canonization cause of Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh Sept. 22, beginning the diocesan inquiry into the life and virtues of the Slovenian-born missionary priest who served communities across Minnesota for decades.

Duluth Bishop Daniel Felton opened the cause during a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth.

“I can think of no better description of Joseph Buh than servant of God,” Bishop Felton said in his homily. “As we look at his life from the very beginning, that was his one desire.”

Monsignor Buh came to Minnesota as a missionary in 1864 and spent decades ministering among Indigenous communities and immigrants. According to the diocese, he helped incorporate 57 parishes and later served as vicar general of the diocese. Monsignor Buh died in 1922 at age 89 after 64 years as a priest.

Bishop Felton pointed to Monsignor Buh’s approach to missionary work, which began with living among the people he served and learning their languages and struggles.

“He would live with his people to listen to them with his heart to learn the language of the people in his heart…” Bishop Felton said. “And it was only when he knew that language when he could speak the language of the people that ultimately he would know their hurts and their pains. He would know how they were filled with despair. He would know their tribulations in life.”

Bishop Felton said Monsignor Buh’s missionary approach centered on bringing those he served to Christ.

“Only then secondly did he always begin to talk about Jesus and to put Jesus on center stage to say Jesus is healing to your hurts,” the bishop said. “Jesus is hope to your despair. Jesus is joy to your tribulations.”

The opening of the cause was also marked in Slovenia. During the Sept. 22 Mass, Bishop Felton read a letter from Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore expressing support for the diocese as the cause moves forward.

Bishop Felton concluded by pointing to Monsignor Buh’s missionary witness as a call for Catholics to live out the same discipleship through their own vocations.

“As we too become servants of God in our own time and as we too become disciples of Jesus Christ and as we also become missionary disciples and live that out through the vocation of priesthood, religious life, married life, being single, being a deacon, whatever that vocation is,” the bishop said, “just like Monsignor Buh, that will be the manner in a moment of revival that all of us will put Jesus Christ back on center stage.”

The diocese began discerning a possible cause for Monsignor Buh in 2023.