Dear Crystal:

There is a website that lists thousands of saints and give basic information about them. Thus, go to these links: Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio (he is a blessed, not yet canonized a saint) and Saint Expeditus of Melitene (I think you are referring to).

You do not need someone to write a prayer for you. Make your own prayer asking for Blessed Sabastian's help. He is the Patron for drivers, road builders, and travellers. For more information type Sebastian Aparicio in a search engine. You will find articles about him, and perhaps some prayers. Same with Expeditus Melitene as a search term.

St. Expeditus is listed as the Patron against procrastination, for expeditious solutions, prompt solutions, merchants, and navigators.

As for the Sainthood process:

There are three steps leading to sainthood.

First a person must be dead for at least five years (Pope John Paul II waived this requirement for Mother Teresa).

First Step—Servant of God: The initial investigation of a person proposed for Sainthood is conducted by a Bishop. If the Bishop believes the person's life is worthy of further consideration, the Vatican will grant a "Nihil Obstat." (a Latin phrase that means "nothing hinders.") It is at this point the person is called a "Servant of God." Servants of God may not be publicly venerated or included in liturgy.

Public veneration or panegyric speeches (laudatory public speeches) regarding the candidate's sanctity of life are not permitted. Public, means official church actions.

"Private devotion toward the Servant of God and the spontaneous spreading of his reputation of holiness or martyrdom and of intercessory power" is okay on the part of the laity.

It can be dangerous, however, to even privately venerate a Servant of God as there is no guarantee that the person will be beatified or canonized a saint. This happened with Thomas à Kempis, author of the famed Imitations of Christ, a wonderful devotional work. Everyone thought him a saint and began to venerate him before the Church investigation ended. During the investigation it was found that Kempis lacked the proper credentials to be a canonized saint.

As the story goes, it seems that Thomas was buried alive. This happened back in those days. When he awoke in his coffin buried in a grave, he panicked (a normal human reaction under those circumstances). He desperately tried to escape by clawing at the coffin until his fingers were rubbed raw to the bone (this is what most of us would have done if it happened to us). The condition of the body of Thomas that revealed this scenario was discovered when his body was exhumed during the investigation.

Because of the actions of Thomas facing is terrible death buried alive, he was disqualified for sainthood. If this seems unfair, keep in mind that how a genuine saint, with heroic virtue (a requirement for canonization), would have reacted is to accept his fate and die with prayer, thanksgiving, and joy.

This does not mean that Thomas is not in heaven, but it means that it is not certain since the Church did not canonize him.

Moral of the story? Do not get the cart before the horse; wait for the decision of the Holy See.

Venerable (no longer a technical step to sainthood): The classification of "Venerable" is no longer a step on the road to sainthood. Pope John Paul II made changes to the process. Veneration, prayers, and liturgical recognition is not allowed to the now retired classification of Venerables.

As with the Servants of God, (which those named Venerables will default to), private individuals may have private devotions to the Venerable, and "spontaneous spreading of his reputation of holiness or martyrdom and of intercessory power" is allowed.

Instead of the Venerable classification, the rules for the diocesan investigation were tightened in preparation for an investigation on the heroic virtues of the candidate. 

As reported in an EWTN Q&A:

In a 2007 instruction, called Sanctorum Mater, rules were tightened for the initial diocesan phase of the process [First Step above].

At this stage [First Stage] the law says: "Any solemn celebrations or panegyric speeches about Servants of God whose sanctity of life is still being legitimately examined are prohibited in Churches. Furthermore, one must also refrain, even outside of Church, from any acts which could mislead the faithful into thinking that the inquiry conducted by the Bishop into the life of the Servant of God and his virtues or martyrdom carries with it the certitude that the Servant of God will be one day canonized."

Likewise, before closing the diocesan stage of the process the judges must assure that there has been no public cult offered the candidate. Thus the 2007 instruction states:

"Art. 117 - § 1. In accordance with the dispositions of Pope Urban VIII, it is prohibited for a Servant of God to be an object of public ecclesiastical cult without the previous authorization of the Holy See.

"§ 2. Such dispositions do not impede, in any way, private devotion toward the Servant of God and the spontaneous spreading of his reputation of holiness or martyrdom and of intercessory power.

"Art. 118 - § 1. In observance of the above-mentioned dispositions, prior to the close of the Inquiry the Bishop or his Delegate must ensure that the Servant of God is not an object of unlawful cult.

"§ 2. For this purpose, the Bishop or his Delegate, the Promotor of Justice and the Notary of the cause, must inspect the tomb of the Servant of God, the room where he lived and/or died, and other possible places where signs of unlawful cult may be found.

"§ 3. The Notary is to draw up a report on the outcome of the inspection that is to be inserted into the acts of the Inquiry.

"Art. 119 - § 1. If no abuses of cult are discovered, the Bishop or his Delegate is to proceed to the preparation of the "Declaration on the Absence of Cult", that is, the declaration which attests to the fact that the Decrees of Urban VIII have been observed.

"§ 2. The declaration is to be inserted among the acts of the Inquiry."

Second Step—Decree on Heroic Virtues: A Church Official, called a Postulator, who resides in Rome, now takes over the investigation from the diocese as the candidate's advocate. Documents and testimonies are gathered to prove the person lived heroic virtues, that is, lived a life of the theological virtues: faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others specific to his state in life. 

The documentation is presented in a Postio, a summary of the documentation that proves the heroic exercise of virtue, and presented, under the direction of a relator, to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. The Positio is submitted to a panel of nine theologians who give their vote. If the majority of the theologians are in favor, the cause is passed on for examination by cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation. If their judgment is favorable, the prefect of the congregation presents the results of the entire course of the cause to the Holy Father, who may give his approval and authorize the congregation to draft the decree on the heroic virtues.

Third Step—Blessed: To be a Blessed means that the Holy See has beatified the candidate. Beatification means that the candidate is declared to be one of the blessed and thus worthy of public religious veneration in a particular region or religious congregation. 

For the Church to raise someone to the status of Blessed, it is required that one miracle attributed to intercession to the candidate by proven and verified.

The alleged miracle must be carefully examined scientifically and theologically. If the miracle is proven and approved, a decree it issued and the cause presented to the Pope.

Once the two decrees are promulgated (regarding the heroic virtues and the miracle) the Holy Father decides on beatification. If the Pope decides favorably, he declares the person a Blessed.

It is at this time public veneration may officially begin, but limited to a particular sphere set by the Holy See. For example, veneration may be limited to a particular religious family, or to the diocese where the new blessed is buried or is associated with in a particular way.

These rules pertain to public (veneration officially endorsed or conducted by the Church). Individuals anywhere in the world may venerate a Blessed privately.

The 1970 instruction "Calendaria Particularia," Nos. 25-37 states:

"The blessed are usually venerated with celebrations on a local level in places where they were born, where they died, where their relics are preserved. They are also venerated in places that had a long-term association with their activities, in a church dedicated to them, or within the confines of the churches and oratories of a particular religious order which has its own liturgical calendar.

"However, even in these cases, it is better to begin by inserting this celebration as an optional memorial and later expand, both territorially and in liturgical ranking as devotion spreads  (No. 31).

"In some cases, especially in ancient dioceses, it might even be better to restrict this initial veneration to the church where his relics are kept or to his native town."

Sainthood: To be canonized a Saint a second miracle after beatification is required, unless the Pope waives these requirements.  Once this second miracle has been received through the candidate's intercession, the Pope declares the person a "Saint."

A Saint's Feast Day may be publicly celebrated throughout the world (unless superseded by a feast of higher liturgical rank).

To answer your question directly about Venerables: public veneration is not allowed, that is, the Church cannot venerate a Venerable officially in liturgy and other official function. You, personally and private, however, may offer devotion to the Venerable and support his cause, just as we can do with Servants of God, with the understanding of the danger that the person may not ever be made a Blessed or Saint (see my warning note above).

Merry Christmas.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary