Steps to Sainthood

Inspired by the process to becoming a Catholic Saint, these are the steps and rules to becoming one of my saints. (to Catholics that this may somehow offend, know that I'm not doing this as a joke, but that I am basing this on your system because I want to treat these people with a sort of reverence and respect).

First I have to actually pick someone that I believe may be eligible for sainthood. I can't really explain this step, it just happens. I usually already know a great deal about them, their life, and their work. Mostly this consists of artists...
This step is most like the first step to catholic sainthood (often glossed over when explaining the actual steps) where a Bishop investigates the persons life and gets the go-ahead from the Vatican.

Second the person must be proven to have lived a virtuous life, or at least that's how it is in Catholicism. For me, if they have a good body of work or have lived an awesome life, this qualifies. Honestly, since I'm the only person judging this and it's not going to two different committees, this is very similar to step one. After completing this step, the person is "Venerable".

Third is the process of Beatification. The person must have performed a miracle. For my purposes, this can be a work of art (or a body of work) that especially moves me. Once a person has completed this step, they are considered "Blessed".

Fourth is the process of Canonization. The person must perform a second miracle. However, like the pope, I can choose to waive this requirement. For instance, with J.K. Rowling, her miracle was writing the Harry Potter series. Why would I need her to perform another miracle when her first was so awesome? I don't. After completing this process, one becomes a "Saint"

I also have decided to add one more rule to my list. I can't canonize more than one saint every month. I can add as many as I want to the road to sainthood, and they can move up the track, but if more than one is ready at once, they must wait a month after the last canonized saint.
Also, just to be clear, the miracle process does not necessarily mean I'm waiting for them to perform another miracle, I'm just determining whether they have already performed one.
Oh, also, they don't have to have been dead for 5 years like Catholic Saints. They can still be alive...

Explanation

So, I kind of stole this idea from a movie...or two. Mostly I've stolen it from Heavenly Creatures, and partially from A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (although I probably won't really be focusing on the saints inspired by that movie in this blog). Anyway, I'm not really religious, but I am spiritual. So, like the girls in Heavenly Creatures (don't worry, I'm not going to commit brutal matricide) I'm going to take people that I find inspirational, influential, and that I feel a deep connection to, and make them into my "saints". Although I'm making lists of famous or widely known individuals as well as of people I know personally, this blog will mostly focus on those who are not part of my everyday life. I am going to actually have rules as to how one becomes one of my saints (slightly mirrored after the catholic church's process) which I will elaborate on in a later post. However there are seven amazing people who I feel have already established themselves in my life as saints that get to bypass the sainthood process. I intend to spotlight them in individual posts later on, but for now, here they are:

Alan Ball - Writer of American Beauty and Head Writer/Creator of Six Feet Under.

Frederic Bazille - Pre-Impressionist Painter (notable works include Summer Scene (1870) and Fisherman With a Net (1869))

J.K. Rowling - Writer of the Harry Potter series

Jason Robert Brown - Musical composer of Songs for a New World, The Last 5 Years, and Parade

Kate Winslet - 6-time Oscar nominated actress (Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Iris, Little Children, and The Reader for which she won Best Actress in a Leading Role)

Lady Gaga - American pop music artist (some notable songs include Paparazzi, Bad Romance, Poker Face, Telephone, Born This Way, You and I, and Edge of Glory)

Stephen Sondheim - Influential musical composer whose work spans five decades (some notable works include Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Company, and Passion)