Saints and Blesseds from the United States
Calendar of Saints and Blesseds from the United States of America
Click on the links to discover more about each person and their connection to the United States.
January 4
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, S.C.
Founder of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. Considered founder of the Catholic School system in the US.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was the charming "belle of the ball" as a young woman in New York City, linked to all the first families. At the age of 19, she fell in love and married the wealthy, handsome William Magee Seton. The two had a very happy marriage, raising five children. Ten years after they were married, William's business and health both failed, and Elizabeth was left a poor widow with five children to raise alone. Her love for the Eucharist led her to convert to Catholicism and founded the first order of religious women in America, the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, a religious community based on the Rule of St. Vincent De Paul. She was able to still raise her children, as well as live the life of a sister and found several schools. She became the co-founder of the first free Catholic school in the United States.
January 5
St. John Neumann, C.Ss.R.
Missionary and fourth bishop of Philadelphia. Founded the first diocesan Catholic school system in U.S.
St. John Neumann learned pretty quickly what it meant to follow God's will with your whole heart and soul. He was certain that he was called to be a priest, but when the time came for ordination, the bishop fell ill and the ordination was cancelled. It was never rescheduled, because there was an over-abundance of priests in Europe. Knowing he was meant to be a priest, John traveled all the way from Bohemia to New York City to be ordained. He was one of only 36 priests, serving 200,000 Catholics: his 'parish' stretched from Lake Ontario throughout Pennsylvania. He became the founder of the first diocesan Catholic School system, going from only two schools to one hundred schools in his diocese.
January 23
St. Marianne Cope, O.S.F.
Missionary to the lepers of Molokai, Hawaii
St. Marianne Cope was a born leader. Growing up as one of the older children of a large family, she went to work in a factory right after finishing the eighth grade. She joined the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis a few years later, and began a whirlwind of leadership roles: twice as the novice mistress of her congregation, and three times as the superior of St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse. This leadership, coupled with her sympathy for mankind in general, led her to volunteer to go to Hawaii to take care of the lepers. She was finally stationed in Molokai, where she brought education and happiness to the leper colony: even providing bright scarves and pretty dresses for the women. To read more about this determined and yet charming woman, check out the websites below!
March 3
St. Katharine Drexel, S.B.S.
School builder and founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People
When she asked Pope Leo XIII to send more missionaries to Wyoming, he asked her, "Why don't you become a missionary?" As a young, wealthy, educated girl from Philadelphia, this was hardly the expected lifestyle for young Katharine Drexel. But raised in a devout family with a deep sympathy for the poor, Katharine gave up everything to become a missionary to the Indians and African Americans. She founded schools in thirteen states for African Americans, forty mission centers and twenty-three rural schools. She also established fifty missions for Indians in sixteen different states. She died at the age of ninety-six and was canonized in the year 2000.
May 8
Bl. Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, S.C.
Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth
Teresa Demjanovich was born in 1901 to a Ruthenian family who had emigrated to New Jersey. She was a smart young woman who graduated high school at the age of 15. Her intellectual gifts were matched by her charity, as she delayed entering a convent to take care of her terminally ill parents. As a novice, Teresa took the name Miriam Teresa. Before she made her final vows, she was asked by her spiritual director to write down her spirituality for use in the training of other novices. This spiritual work was posthumously published under the title of Greater Perfection. In late 1926, Teresa fell ill and made her final vows from a hospital bed. She died on May 8, 1927. On October 4, 2014, Miriam Teresa was beatified at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, the first beatification in the US.
May 10
St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, SS.CC.
Missionary to the lepers of Molokai, Hawaii
St. Damien of Molokai was born in Belgium in 1840 to a poor farmer and his wife. At the age of 13, he quit school to help his parents on the farm; when he was nineteen, he entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Damien's older brother, Pamphile, was also a priest in this congregation, and had offered his service to the care of the lepers on the Island of Molokai. When he fell ill and couldn't go to the mission, Damien volunteered to take his place. The saint offered to stay in the leper colony permanently—he built schools, churches, hospitals and coffins. He was later joined in his work by the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by St. Marianne Cope. St. Damien contracted the disease himself, but continued to serve the mission until his death in 1889.
July 1
St. Junípero Serra, O.F.M.
Founder of the Spanish missions in California
As a young man in Spain, Blessed Junípero Serra joined the Franciscan order and began a short career as a professor, famous for his preaching. When he was thirty-five, he suddenly began to yearn for the life of a missionary in the New World. He left everything behind and boarded a ship bound for Vera Cruz, Mexico. On his way to Mexico City, an insect bite infected his leg so badly that walking pained him for the rest of his life. Among his many great accomplishments as a missionary are listed two particularly: It was he whose insistence and dedication brought about the "Regulation" protecting the Native Americans and the missions. He is also known for founding the great mission of San Juan Capistrano, in California. He founded 21 missions and taught the Native Americans many trades, from farming to crafting.
July 14
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Native American and consecrated virgin
Nicknames are generally silly, entertaining names given to people by affectionate relatives or friends. It's rare to hear an enviable one. But "Lily of the Mohawks?" Now, that's an elegant nickname. This is the nickname of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Orphaned at the age of four, she was raised by her uncle, the chief of the Mohawk village. When priests came to the village, Kateri was drawn by their teachings, and converted at the age of 19, heedless of the anger of her relatives. Because she refused to work on Sundays, she was denied meals that day. Finally, a missionary encouraged her to run away to Montreal, Canada, to practice her faith freely. She followed his advice, and lived a life of extreme prayer and penance, taking a vow of virginity. She was beatified in 1980 and canonized on October 21, 2012.
July 28
Bl. Stanley Rother
Martyr, Missionary to Guatemala
An Oklahoma farm boy, Father Stanley Francis Rother was born March 27, 1935, in Okarche, Oklahoma. Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa in 1963, he served in the diocese's Guatemala mission for fourteen years. He served the native Tzutuhil tribe, who are decedents of the Mayans. In order to serve his people, Fr. Rother learned both Spanish and the Tzutuhil language. Surrounded by extreme poverty, Fr. Rother ministered to his parishioners in their homes, eating with them, visiting the sick, aiding with medical problems and helping farm. While he served in Guatemala, a civil war raged between the militarist government forces and the guerillas. During this, conflict hundreds of thousands of Catholics were killed due to the Church's insistence on helping people. Eventually, Fr. Rother was targeted. For his safety, Fr. Rother returned to Oklahoma. Determined to give his life completely to his people, he stated that "the shepherd cannot run." Returning to Santiago Atitlan, he continued to minister to his people. Within days of his return, three men entered the rectory and executed Fr. Rother. Seeking justice in the midst of a protracted civil war, Fr. Rother fought courageously for the well-being of his people.
July 30
Bl. Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap.
Capuchin Franciscan, Humble Servant
Fr Solanus Casey was born on November 25, 1870, in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. He entered the Capuchin Franciscans in Detroit in 1897. Known as "The Doorkeeper" when he was porter at St, Bonaventure's monastery, he was always ready to open the doors of the monastery to listen to anyone who knocked. He faithfully and humbly served the people of Detroit, MI, Huntington, IN and New York by providing soup for the hungry, kind words for the troubled, and a healing touch for the sick. People would seek out Fr. Solanus asking for "special favors," which lead to numerous miraculous healings and answered prayers. Known for his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Solanus would often play his violin for Jesus in the presence of the tabernacle. Fr. Solanus was diagnosed with erysipelas and died on July 31, 1957. His body was found incorrupt thirty years after his death. He was declared venerable by Pope John Paul II on July 11, 1995 and was beatified on November 18, 2017 in Detroit.
August 13
Bl. Michael J. McGivney
Michael McGivney was born on August 12, 1852, the first of thirteen children born to Patrick and Mary McGivney. (Six of their children died as infants or young children.) His parents had immigrated to the United States from Ireland before Michael was born. He left school at 13 to work at the local brass mill, the same mill where his father worked.
When he was sixteen, Michael entered the seminary for the first time. Before he completed his studies and formation, however, his father died and Michael returned home to help care for his mother and younger siblings. He soon returned to the seminary and was ordained at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption in Baltimore, MD.
As a priest, Fr. McGivney was keenly aware of the struggles faced by immigrant families, having seen the difficulties firsthand. While he was assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish in New Haven, Connecticut (part of the Archdiocese of Hartford), he started a lay organization of men from the parish to unite each other in the life of faith.* If any of the members died, the other members would also support the surviving family in their faith and with necessary resources. This organization took the name the Knights of Columbus and was officially begun on February 6, 1882. Fr. McGivney died on August 14, 1980, having just turned 38 years old.
Today the Knights of Columbus continue Fr. McGivney's legacy. The order has been recognized by recent popes for their commitment to charity, apostolic zeal for preaching the Gospel, and fidelity to upholding the Church's teachings.
*In 2023, as part of the reorganization efforts in the Archdiocese of Hartford, St. Mary Parish was united with several other parishes under the name of Blessed Michael McGivney Parish of New Haven, Connecticut.
September 5
St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born as the youngest child of Nicola and Dranafile (Drane) Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910 in Üsküp, Ottoman Empire (today: Skopje, North Macedonia). She was baptized on August 27, 1910—a date she later celebrated as her "true birthday"—and given the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. Her father died when she was only eight: according to rumors, he had been poisoned for his political involvement. Despite the difficulties that followed, her mother continued to raise the children with love and care. By the time she was twelve, Agnes knew that she had a calling to be a missionary. When she was only eighteen, Agnes left home and joined the Sisters of Loretto in the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ireland, where she took the name Sister Mary Teresa (after St. Thérèse of Lisieux).
After a few months of formation, St. Teresa was sent to Calcutta, India, where she taught until she was about 38. That year, her order granted her permission to leave the convent school to work with the poorest members of society, whom she had noticed from her place in the convent. She was quickly joined by other people who wished to assist her. On October 7, 1950, St. Teresa was given permission to found a new congregation, the Missionaries of Charity, who were dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor. Each day, St. Teresa would begin by spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist before she would go out to serve those in need. In recognition of their work, this community was raised to the status of a Religious Institute of Consecrated Life of Pontifical Right by Pope St. Paul VI in 1965. The Holy Father also encouraged St. Teresa to establish a community in Venezuela and other locations.
In recognition of her tremendous work with the poor, St. Teresa was granted numerous awards and honors, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971), the Nobel Peace Prize (1979), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985). She is also one of only eight people to be awarded as an honorary citizen of the United States in 1996, the year before she died. As such, she is included among the Saints of the United States.
October 3
St. Théodore Guérin, S.P.
Missionary and founder of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Théodore Guérin was born October 2, 1784 in Etables, France. At the age of ten, she received her First Holy Communion and announced to the parish priest that she would one day be a nun. At the age of 25, she fulfilled this statement, entering the order of the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir, whose mission it was to educate children and to care for the poor, sick and dying. While serving at the convent, Théodore was asked to lead a small band of missionary sisters to Indiana in the United States of America. When the sisters arrived, there was only a log cabin with a porch that served as a chapel. Though her health was suffering, Théodore fell to this new task with a will. By the time she died in 1856, Mother Théodore had opened schools in Illinois and throughout Indiana. The sisters were well-established and respected. Through illness, poverty and all manner of unwelcoming circumstances, she trusted in God’s providence and lived as a model of belief in his mercy. She was canonized in 2006, and is known as the patron saint of Indianapolis.
October 5
Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R.
Missionary preacher
As a child, Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R. used to claim that he didn't simply want to imitate his patron saint: he wanted to be another St.Francis Xavier. He entered the seminary in Augsburg after completing a degree in Philosophy. While there, he heard about the missionary activity of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, and traveled to North America, specifically to become a Redemptorist priest. For nine years, he worked as the assistant of St. John Neumann in the parish of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh. He dedicated himself to the mission of preaching, and, before long, he had attained a reputation as an excellent preacher and an insightful, attentive spiritual director. He was also known for a happy availability for anyone who might need him at any time. He became pastor of the church of St. Mary of the Assumption in New Orleans, and died there of yellow fever while nursing the sick during an epidemic.
October 19
St. Isaac Jogues, S.J.
Jesuit priest, missionary and one of the North American martyrs
St. Isaac Jogues was born in 1607 and ordained a Jesuit priest in 1636. During the year following his ordination, Isaac saw the fulfillment of his dearest wish: to be a missionary to the Indians in New France. His first several years of missionary work among the Indians were quiet enough, but in 1641, he and a group of fellow missionaries traveled to Iroquois country. There, the missionaries were whipped, bitten, and tormented in the most barbarous ways imaginable. St. Isaac Jogues became a living martyr, watching his friends die around him and being constantly threatened by death himself. After a year of this torment, in which Isaac was able to evangelize and baptize a few of the Iroquois, a chance for escape presented itself. He boarded a Dutch ship and went back to France. This only lasted a few months, however, as his heart still longed to bring the Word of God to the Iroquois.This return mission was to be his last. Isaac foresaw this when he wrote to a fellow Jesuit, saying “My heart tells me that, if I am the one to be sent on this mission, I shall go but I shall not return. But I would be happy if our Lord wished to complete the sacrifice where he began it.” He was killed with a tomahawk in 1646, and canonized a saint in 1930 by Pope Pius XI. He is the patron saint of the Americas and Canada.
November 13
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C.
Missionary and founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Francis Xavier Cabrini was born into a family of thirteen children. Due to health reasons, her first request to join a religious community was refused, but she was finally able to take her vows in 1877. Soon after being named prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, she was urged by Pope Leo XIII to become a missionary in the United States. However, the house that had been promised to her for an orphanage was unavailable when she reached New York City, and the archbishop advised her to return to Italy. Frances departed from the archbishop’s residence all the more determined to stay and establish that orphanage. And she did. In 35 years, Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 6 institutions for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick, and organized schools and adult education classes for formation in the Catholic Faith. She died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago in 1917. She was the first United States Citizen to be canonized, and she is known as the patron saint of immigrants.
November 18
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, R.S.C.J.
Missionary to Native Americans
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was a passionate young woman with a heart for missionary work. She joined the Visitation nuns at the age of 19, but a few years later, convents were shut down during the French Revolution, and Rose was forced to return to life as a lay woman for many years. Ten years later, she was finally able to rejoin a convent, this time as a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart. In 1818, she was sent to the Louisiana Territory as a missionary, facing illness, hardship and hunger to bring Catholicism to the Native Americans. She opened the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi river, as well as the first Catholic school for Native Americans. She was known among the Pottawatomie Indians as the "Woman Who Prays Always."
Puerto Rico
July 13; May 4 in Puerto Rico
Bl. Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodríguez Santiago
Bl. Charlie, evangelist for the Sacred Triduum and the Eucharist
Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodríguez Santiago, known better as Charlie, was born to Manuel Baudilio Rodríguez and Hermina Santiago Esterás in Caguas Puerto Rico on November 22, 1918. When he was still very young, Carlos Manuel's family lost their house to a fire, causing them to move into his maternal grandparents' home. Carlos Manuel's grandmother regularly attended daily Mass: she instilled in him, through her example, the importance of frequent reception of Holy Communion at Mass. Carlos Manuel also became an altar boy and fell in love with Jesus in the Eucharist, fostered especially by his First Holy Communion.
From an early age, Carlos Manuel felt a call to serve Christ and his Church through a life of ministry. He attempted to study for a bachelor's degree at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, but he had to stop because of his poor health. It was at this university that he received his nickname "Charlie" from his friends. Though he was not able to complete his formal studies due to chronic illness, he continued to study diligently on his own.
Eventually he became a catechist for high school students, even using his own income to pay for the teaching aids he offered them. He had a special love for the Sacred Triduum, especially the Easter Vigil. He would often remark, "We live for that night." Charlie died on July 13, 1963, just shy of his 45th birthday. His apostolic zeal in witnessing to Christ fostered a deepening of faith for many people, and also led several people to recognize their vocational state in the consecrated religious life.
Notably, Bl. Charlie's lay apostolic activity, which reflects the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium; see nos. 9-10, 45, and 88) was performed even before the constitution had been promulgated. Sacrosanctum Concilium was not promulgated until December 4, 1963.