Since 1946, 11 Americans have been canonized as saints.
Many were immigrants who crossed treacherous seas to spread the Gospel. Some, like John Neumann, had only a few dollars to their name; others, like Katharine Drexel, used their resources to further God’s kingdom. But these men and women all had two things in common: they loved the Lord, and they called America home.
This year, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America, we invite you to explore the stories of American saints honored in the Basilica. In this first installment, you can read about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann, and St. Marianne Cope.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
The first native-born American citizen to be canonized as a saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton is best known for her role in starting the parochial education system in America. Born on August 28, 1774, on Staten Island, Elizabeth was originally raised in the tradition of the Episcopal church. After spending time in Italy, she was struck by the beauty of Catholicism and converted in 1805. Following her husband’s premature death, Elizabeth started a Catholic school for girls in Baltimore, Maryland, at the request of a priest. Elizabeth’s most lasting impact, however, was the founding of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph’s in 1809 – the first religious order in America. Not only did this order help hospitals and orphans, but it also worked to establish the parochial education system in America. Elizabeth’s devotion to educating children and caring for the less fortunate has had an impact lasting well beyond her own life.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is depicted in the exterior tympana of the West Façade, the Hall of American Saints, a Miraculous Medal Chapel window, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, and the Trinity Dome Mosaic.
St. John Neumann
Did you know that St. John Nepomucene Neumann was the first American man to be canonized? The patron of immigrants and sick children, Saint John Neumann’s zeal for ministry serves as an inspiration to the faithful today.
From an early age, John Nepomucene Neumann had a keen sense of a higher calling to the priesthood. This motivated him to be a diligent student, enrolling at a diocesan seminary and later at a university in Prague to study theology. However, at the conclusion of his studies, John found himself faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle: Bohemia* already had plenty of priests, and none of the dioceses in his native land would ordain him. Seeking an alternative, he applied to dioceses in the United States, but received no response. Yet John was not easily deterred; taking a leap of faith, he sailed across the ocean with only $40 in his pocket, arriving in New York City in 1836. Only a month later, he was ordained and spent four years working with German immigrants in Buffalo, New York. Though John felt the work was meaningful, he found his life to be lonely and difficult. Longing for a greater spiritual community, he joined the Redemptorist order and continued his ministry up and down the East Coast.
John’s hard work was recognized in 1852, when he was appointed bishop of Philadelphia. In this beautiful American city, he dedicated himself to the oversight of building schools, churches, and a cathedral. He was particularly committed to offering educational opportunities to immigrant children. The American hierarchy approved two catechisms written by John in 1852, and in the years that followed, the works became standard texts. Whether he was founding churches and schools, or writing his catechisms or articles in newspapers, John left an indelible mark on the lives of thousands of Americans. He passed away in 1860 after suffering from a stroke in Philadelphia and was canonized in 1977.
St. Marianne Cope
Though Barbara Koob was born in West Germany on January 23, 1838, her family moved to the United States and settled in Utica, New York less than a year later. When Barbara was about 13, her father fell ill, so she began working in a factory to help provide for her parents and nine siblings. It wasn’t until she was 24 that she finally realized her dream of pursuing religious life, and became a member of the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse, where she was given the name Marianne Cope. For a few years, Marianne served as an elementary school teacher and principal before taking on a position that would drastically change her life. Working as an administrator on the governing boards of the Franciscan Sisters, Marianne used her new position and skills to help establish two of the first hospitals in central New York. Recognizing Marianne’s profound organizational abilities, a Catholic priest requested she come to the Hawaiian Islands to help provide education and healthcare to the leper community.
Marianne readily accepted and travelled to Honolulu in 1883. There, she served as manager of the Kaka’ako Branch Hospital on Oahu, working with the Sisters to improve patient treatment and living conditions, and expanding the hospital’s care to include the family members of lepers, who often had difficulty finding doctors to treat them. When the government quarantined all the lepers on the island of Molokai, Marianne chose to dedicate her life to caring for them, overseeing the operations of the two children’s homes. The work was alienating, exhausting, and oftentimes more than the small team could handle. Nevertheless, they continued dedicating their lives to the people of the island. Marianne also cared for Damien De Veuster following his diagnosis with leprosy, and continued to minister in Hawaii until her death on August 9, 1918.
Sources:
“Biography of Marianne Cope,” The Vatican.
Butler’s Lives of Saints, ed. Bernard Bangley.
“Saint John Neumann,” Britannica.
“St. John N. Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia, United States,” Vatican News.
The Way of Saints, Tom Cowan.
*Note: Today, Bohemia is known as the Czech Republic.
