Folk saint

A folk saint is a deceased person that is venerated as a saint but who has not been officially canonized by the Church. Like the officially recognized saints, folk saints act as intercessors with God on behalf of their devotees but their actions, in life as well as in death, distinguish them from their canonized counterparts: their ranks are filled by folk healers, sinners and pre-Hispanic spirits. Some are as likely to grant a request to curse an enemy or protect a drug runner as to heal a family member. Folk saints are extremely popular in Latin America, where the majority have small local followings but a few enjoy enormous national or even international cults.