Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh stands among the most influential figures in the history of the Diocese of Duluth. A diocesan priest and tireless missionary, he devoted his life to building up the Catholic Church across Northern Minnesota, strengthening both the faith of the people and building the churches that served them. He ministered with extraordinary zeal to immigrants, Native Americans and settlers throughout a vast and demanding region. More than a century after his death in 1922, Bishop Daniel Felton is taking renewed steps to discern what many have long believed: that Monsignor Buh lived a life of heroic virtue.

The Catholic Church teaches that all people are called to be saints, though not all will be canonized saints. Canonization does not confer holiness; rather, it recognizes the heroic virtue of a Christian life and proposes that life as a model for the faithful. Saints reveal how to follow Christ in a particular time and place. For the Diocese of Duluth, this discernment invites reflection on how we are called today to become saints right here in our very own community.

The process for canonization begins at the diocesan level. A bishop must first determine whether a candidate enjoys a reputation for holiness and whether the faithful have sought the individual’s intercession. Bishop Felton is currently discerning whether to open the process for the formal study of Monsignor Buh in view of a potential cause for canonization. This involves an initial investigation into his life, virtues, and lasting impact on the people of God.

Following the transfer and entombment of Monsignor Buh’s remains at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in June 2025, Bishop Felton initiated the preliminary steps required by the Church. A steering committee has been established, and Amanda Zurface, JCL, has been appointed diocesan postulator to oversee the canonical and administrative aspects of the cause. Consultations with regional bishops have been favorable, and further input is being sought from the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. Bishop Felton will also consult the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this June.

The voice of the faithful is an essential part of this discernment. Clergy and laity are invited to submit their support, concerns, or personal testimony through June 1, 2026. If Bishop Felton discerns that the cause should move forward, he will formally open it with an Opening Mass, thereby initiating the Church’s official investigation into Monsignor Buh’s life. This inquiry will examine his life of exceptional faith and service, reputation for holiness, and evidence of intercessory power.

In conclusion, we stand in awe and humility that the missionary witness of Monsignor Buh has endured through the decades, continuing to bless our local Church and, we hope, one day the universal Church. Counted among the most remarkable missionaries in the history of the Church in the United States, he spared no effort in the service of souls. 

As Bishop Felton continues in prayerful discernment, we entrust this process to God’s will, seeking clarity on whether Monsignor Buh should be presented to the Church for consideration in the process that would recognize him, if so determined, as a model of heroic Christian virtue and a heavenly intercessor for our time.