The Archdiocese of Guadalajara in Mexico officially launched the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification and canonization of Father Ignacio Larrañaga Orbegozo, OFM Cap., on October 6, 2026. The Capuchin priest, widely known around the world as the founder of the Prayer and Life Workshops (Talleres de Oración y Vida, TOV), formally received the title Servant of God. The opening ceremony took place at the archdiocesan curia, where officials read the nihil obsta issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints alongside the decree from Cardinal José Francisco Robles Ortega, Archbishop of Guadalajara. Because Father Larrañaga passed away in Guadalajara in 2013, the local archdiocese holds legal jurisdiction to conduct the initial investigative phase under Church norms.
Representing Cardinal Robles Ortega at the ceremony, Auxiliary Bishop Juan Manuel Muñoz Curiel remembered Father Larrañaga as a “tireless seeker of God” and a “mystic of our time.” In his address, the bishop highlighted the priest’s ability to translate high Franciscan mysticism into an accessible, practical method that allowed ordinary believers to deepen their prayer lives and build intimate relationships with God.
Monsignor Muñoz Curiel emphasized that opening a cause for sainthood serves as a reminder of the universal call to holiness shared by all baptized Christians rather than merely admiring a holy figure from afar. He reflected on how Father Larrañaga demonstrated remarkable faith through total trust and self-abandonment to the Father despite human fatigue and difficulties. Concluding the ceremony, the prelate urged the faithful to leave spiritual mediocrity behind and requested prayers that God may deign to glorify His servant if it serves the good of the Church.