Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Do you know how many American saints there are?

Yesterday was the observance of Saint Rose-Philippine Duschesne, one of our American saints; but I missed it, until after I'd offered Mass, using the other optional memorial for November 18, which is the Dedication of Saints Peter and Paul Basilicae in Rome.

Happily, today is a "ferial" day, which means the priest can pick any Mass (in the ordinary form); so I used the Mass for Saint Rose-Philippine.

After Mass, I was talking with one of the parishioners about how many American saints there are; and I wasn't sure. So, when I got back, I did some research:

Feast               Saint                                                               Burial/shrine

January 4         Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton                              Emmitsburg, MD                   
January 5         Saint John Neumann                                       Philadelphia, PA
January 23       Saint Marianne Cope                                      Syracuse, NY
March 3           Saint Katherine Drexel                                   Bensalem Twp, PA
April 2             Saint Pedro Calungsod, martyr                       Martyred in Guam;
Shrine: Cebu City, Philippines
May 8              Blessed Teresa Demjanovich                          Convent Station, NJ
May 10            Saint Damion de Veuster                                Leuven, Belgium
July 1               Blessed Junípero Serra                                   Carmel, CA
July 13             Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago  Caguas, Puerto Rico
July 14             Saint Kateri Tekakwitha                                 Kahnawake, Quebec
October 3        Saint (Mother) Theodore Guerin                     St. Mary of the Woods, IN
October 5        Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos                        New Orleans, LA
October 6        Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, Martyr    Guam
October 19      Saints Isaac Jogues,                                        Midland, Ontario;
John Brebouf and Companions, martyrs        Auriesville, NY
November 6    Blessed Eduardo Farre, Martyr;
Blessed Lucas Tristany, Martyr
(Priests of Tucson, AZ who died in Spanish Civil War)
November 13  Saint Francis Cabrini                                      Manhattan, NY;
                                                                                                Chicago, IL.
November 18  Saint Rose Philippine Duschesne                   Saint Charles, MO.

I bet that's more than you thought!

A couple of notes. Not all these are on the general calendar; the blesseds, in particular. As a result, I'm not 100% certain of the date they are observed; the two martyrs from Tucson, Arizona, in particular, were hard to track down. Also, I don't know of a shrine for either of them. Readers?

6 comments:

Trooper York said...

It is certainly more than I thought. I only celebrate Mother Cabrini and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seaton.

Mother Cabrini started the religious order of nuns who beat the stuffing out of me when I was in grammar school. And I love them for it!

My wife and I heard Mass several times at the "Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seatonas we prepared to be married at Fraunces Tavern in Downtown NYC. She has always had a special place in my heart and I often pray to her for her intercession.

(I think St. Jude gets tired of hearing from me all the time. Just sayn')

Deo volente said...

Father,

Did you know that two Saints/Blesseds on that list were pastors at the same Church? St. John Neumann and Blessed Francis X. Seelos were both pastors at Saint Alphonsus Church in Baltimore (and both Redemptorists, I believe).

Pax tecum!

D.v

northernHERMIT said...

Would André Bessette be on that list? His feast is January 6 in the U.S.

ndspinelli said...

You forgot St. Vincent of Green Bay.

Fr Martin Fox said...

northernHermit:

I think Saint Andre Bessette is a Canadian saint.

Not that there's anything wrong with that; and I thought about expanding my list to include all of North America, but then I thought, what about Mexico, the Caribbean...and I decided I had to stop somewhere.

Unknown said...

With help of ours prayers I prayerful hope the canonization of Venerables Solanus Casey ofm cap, Fulton Sheen & Michael McGiviny to be added to the American list