AMERICA'S FINEST HOUR

The Catholic Church has existed in the United States since the country's earliest history. Columbus' expedition of 1492 included Catholic priests among the crew. Catholic missionaries were some of the first explorers in British and French colonial lands in the east, and Spanish lands in the west. Maryland was founded as a Catholic colony.

The first three American saints were canonized in 1930, and since then, nine other Catholics in the U.S. have been recognized as saints. Roughly 100 Americans are being investigated for sainthood today.

SAINTS  we have written about already are: (dates are canonization year)

    St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai (2009) leper priest of Molokai ( Belgium)
    St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (1988) missionary to Native Americans ( France)   
    St. Kateri Tekakwitha (2012) first Native American
    St. Marianne Cope (2012) missionary to lepers of Molokai (Germany)

OTHER SAINTS:

    Three of the eight North American Martyrs (1930), missionaries to the Hurons:
        all Jesuits born in France- Sts. Isaac Jogues, René Goupil, Jean de Lalande
     
    St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1946) missionary & foundress  (born Italy)
    St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1975) foundress (born a British subject in New York)

St. Katharine-  Br. McGrath

St. John Neumann (1977), missionary and bishop of Philadelphia (Bohemia)
St. Katharine Drexel (2000) school builder & foundress of sisters to care for    Indians and Colored People (born American citizen)    
           
 St. Mother Théodore Guérin (2006), missionary & foundress  (France)




BLESSEDS:

   Junípero Serra, O.F.M., founder of the Spanish missions in California.
   Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, lay minister and liturgist in Puerto Rico.
   Diego Luis de San Vitores, missionary martyred in Guam (companion to new St. Peter)

Bl. F. X. Seelos

     Francis Xavier Seelos, missionary preacher.



 








VENERABLES: (written about or soon to be = dark )

     Frederic Baraga  the snowshoe priest
     Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus
     Antonio of Jesus, missionary in Texas and Louisiana
     Nelson Baker, Catholic prelate, social worker, founder
     Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap., Detroit mystic
     Cornelia Connelly,  foundress

Ven. Cornelia-  Mayfield School, Pasadena

     Henriette DeLille,  New Orleans foundress 
     Mother Maria Kaupas, foundress 
     Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli,  missionary
     Miriam Teresa  Demjanovich nun and mystic

     Pierre Toussaint, Haitian-born ex-slave,
                    benefactor in NY

SERVANTS of GOD: (we have written about)
    Walter Ciszek,  priest who spent 25 years in Siberian prisons
    Dorothy Day, Founder Catholic Worker Movement
    Edward Joseph Flanagan, Founder of Boys Town
    Fulton J. Sheen, Archbishop, TV personality
    Eusebio Kino, missionary SW


OTHERS: (does not include about 70 more)

   Emil Kapaun- priest and chaplain who died in Korean War

   Rose Hawthorne Lathrop- daughter of Nathaniel and foundress of order to care for cancer patients

Servant of God Rose Hawthorne