June 11, 2023 - "American Saints & Blesseds"

Last week I concluded the series of columns that I had written on the Doctors of the Church.  This week I would like to begin a new series of American Saints and Blesseds.  This series will be devoted to those men and women who were either born in what is now the United States or were immigrants to our country and did missionary work here.  First, let’s cover some useful background when talking about saints and blessed.  For this I am referring to an entry on “Saints” that can be found on the USCCB website.
 
It is important to remember that all Christians are called to be saints.  When I will speak about saints in this series, I mean those who are in heaven (officially canonized or not) who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their life for others, or were martyred for the faith.  In official Church procedures there are three steps to sainthood:  A candidate becomes “Venerable,” then “Blessed,” and then “Saint.” Venerable is the title given to a deceased person recognized by the Holy Father as having lived a heroically virtuous life or offered their life.  To be beatified and recognized as a Blessed, one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession is required in addition to recognition of heroic virtue or offering of life.  Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification.  A pope may waive these requirements.  A miracle is not required prior to the beatification of a martyr, but one is required before canonization.
 
Our Church in the United States has been blessed with numerous saints, individuals who have been beatified, and individuals who have been declared venerable.  All of these have been a source of inspiration and encouragement to our American Church.  Currently there are eleven canonized saints that the United States can claim:  St. Isaac Jogues and the other North American Martyrs, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Junipero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, St. Theodora Guérin, St. John Neumann, St. Damian of Moloka’i, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Marianne Cope, and St. Katharine Drexel. There are five American Blesseds:  Blessed Michael McGivney, Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, Blessed Solanus Casey, Blessed Stanley Rother, and Blessed James Alfred Miller.  Finally there are thirteen American Venerables:  Venerable Father Nelson Baker, Venerable Mother Mary Magdalene Bentivoglio, O.S.C., Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga, Venerable Mother Mary Cornelia Connelly, S.H.C.J., Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, S.S.F., Venerable Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik, O.S.F., Venerable Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, O.A.R., Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas, S.S.C., Venerable Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory, O.Carm., Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Venerable Father Augustine Tolton, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Venerable Father Felix Varela.
 
Over the next several weeks we are going to look at the lives of these remarkable individuals and their impact on our country through their holiness of life.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John