Francis of Assisi often tops the lists of popular Catholic Saints and is best known for his love and care for animals and the natural environment, but his tender heart and gentle ways didn’t stop with our four-legged friends. Her way of being is worth knowing about and replicating to the best of our abilities. In her own “ Little Way,” she sought to live a life of holiness in the ordinary moments of the everyday. Thérèse and writes about her frequently). Thérèse of Lisieux is a Saint beloved by Catholics and non-Catholics alike (the popular author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin has what she refers to as a “mini-obsession” with St. It’s no wonder that he’s been named the patron saint of the universal church. Of all the Catholic Saints and their meanings, the earthly father of Jesus models for all of us a life of humble, quiet service.īy acting lovingly toward Mary under seemingly dubious circumstances (his betrothed was found pregnant… and not by him!) and then saying yes to God (and Mary) after an angel visited him in a dream, Joseph made life possible for Mary and the Son of God. Little is formally known about Joseph - despite the significant role that he likely played in Jesus’ life, he is only mentioned a few times in the Gospels - but that doesn’t negate the tremendous role that he played in the history of the church. Joseph,” and that his feast day is quickly approaching (April 30th!), there’s no better place to begin this list of popular Catholic Saints than with St. Here are ten of the most popular Catholic Saints and their meanings to people of faith:Ĭonsidering that Pope Francis named 2021 “ The Year of St. There are thousands of canonized Saints within our tradition, each carrying a unique story, each acting as an example of faith, and each waiting to act on our behalf, to intercede for us through our prayers.
These are the Saints from which we derive saint relics, which we discussed in a previous blog post.
This formal recognition is called “canonization,” and it’s the process through which the Pope, acting on behalf of the entire Church, “declares a Catholic to be united with God in heaven, an intercessory to God on behalf of the living, and worthy of public and universal veneration” ( The United States Council of Catholic Bishops). Included in the group is a special kind of Saint (often differentiated as a “capital ‘S’ saint”), a person who has been formally recognized by the church for their exemplary life of virtue, devotion to Jesus, and service to God and neighbors. The communion of saints is comprised of all people who were disciples of Jesus while they walked on the earth - people who loved God, followed the path of Christ, and let the Holy Spirit move through their words and actions - some of whom you likely knew personally! One of my favorite aspects of being Catholic is knowing that I am part of a vast community of both living Catholics around the world and millions of faithful people who have gone before us: the communion of saints.
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