The Stage Between Blessed and Saint?

The distinction between a Blessed and a Saint concerns the scope of liturgical observance for their feast days, according to Pat McCloskey, OFM, in a Franciscan Media column.

While both titles indicate a person is in heaven, the difference lies in where their feast may be celebrated. For example, the feast of Saint Martin de Porres is observed on November 3. In contrast, the liturgical feast of Mother Teresa of Calcutta is restricted to the Missionaries of Charity, the men's community she founded, their coworkers, and specific regions including India and the former republic of Macedonia.

McCloskey also clarified the process for moving from the title of Venerable to Blessed. A person reaches this stage either through a judgment of martyrdom, where they died due to the hatred of persecutors, or through the recognition of a miraculous cure. These processes of beatification and canonization serve to identify individuals who lived the faith with remarkable consistency rather than to update divine records.