Catholics have a special reverence for those canonized as saints by the pope. We believe they were holy people, and on their death they were with God. Catholics pray to saints for their intercession with God to grant special requests. The four saints whose lives are briefly described in this book share a very unique relationship. They are the only saints who lived and died as American or United States citizens.
THE FIVE AMERICAN CITIZEN SAINTS
By James V. Canfield Eileen A. CanfieldTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2012 James V. Canfield Eileen A. Canfield
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4669-6847-9Contents
1. Foreword................................................xi2. Five American Citizen Saints............................13. About the Saints........................................34. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini............................95. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton...............................276. Saint John Neumann......................................657. Saint Katharine Drexel..................................838. Saint Marianne Cope.....................................1139. The Citizen Saints National Shrines.....................13810. American Blesseds......................................140
Chapter One
FIVE AMERICAN CITIZEN SAINTS
Catholics have a special reverence for those canonized as saints by the pope. We believe they were holy people and on their death they were with God. Catholics pray to saints for their intercession with God to grant special requests. The four saints whose lives are briefly described in this book share a very unique relationship. They are the only saints who lived and died as American or United States citizens.
They are:
St. Frances X. Cabrini
- 1850-1917
- Birthplace: Lombardy, Italy
- Naturalized U.S. citizen: 1909 in Spokane, Washington
- Canonized: 1946 by Pope Pius XII
- Feast Day: November 13
- Patronage: immigrants, hospital administrators
- The first Naturalized U.S. citizen to become a saint
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
- 1774-1821
- Birthplace: New York City
- Born British subject—U.S. citizen after Revolutionary War
- Canonized: 1975 by Pope Paul VI
- Feast Day: January 4 (also venerated by the Episcopal U.S. church)
- Patronage: catholic schools, Shreveport, Louisiana, State of Maryland
- The first non-Naturalized U.S. citizen to become a saint
St. John Neumann
- Birthplace: Bavaria, Austrian Empire
- Naturalized U.S citizen: 1842
- Canonized: 1977 by Pope Paul VI
- Feast Day: January 5 (March 5 in Bohemia)
- Attributes: Redemptorist habit, Episcopal vestments
- The first and only male U.S. citizen to become a saint
St. Katharine Drexel
- 1858-1955
- Birthplace: Philadelphia, P.A.
- U.S. citizen by birth
- Canonized: 2000 by Pope John Paul II
- Feast Day: March 3
- Patronage: philanthropists, racial justice
- The first U.S. citizen by birth to become a saint
St. Marianne Cope
- 1838-1918
- Birthplace: Grand Ducy—modern day Germany
- Naturalized U.S. citizen—when father became citizen according to the U.S. law
- Canonized: October 21, 2012
- Feast Day: August 9
- Patronage: lepers, outcasts, HIV / AIDS patients, Hawaii
Chapter Two
ABOUT THE SAINTS
There are four steps to become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church: Servant of God; Venerable; Blessed; and finally, Saint. Only a small percentage of individuals who start the process ever become a saint.
Each saint has a specific feast day and it is almost always the date of his or her death. This is because the Catholic Church believes that death is meant to be our true birth when a person is born to eternal life.
The earliest saints were martyrs who, like Christ, were killed for their religious beliefs. When a martyr died those who knew him or her believed that person was now with God. People would ask for the saint's intercession when praying for God's help. As the legend of that martyr grew in the community and nearby regions a saint was recognized. In essence, the people created the saint, and the church recognized the saint's existence. They were the red saints—those who shed blood for their religion.
The next groups of saints were the ascetics. These white saints were hermits and monks who gave up all worldly comforts and lived a life of prayer and meditation. The ascetics followed the example of Christ when he went to the desert for forty days and nights to pray. People believed these holy men were close to God and used them in their prayers.
The third group are the modern saints who have been founders of Religious Orders and evangelist missionaries.
In 1234, Pope Alexander III reserved to the Popes the right to declare a person a saint. This does not mean the Popes make the saints—it means that after a formal procedure the pope issues a decree that the person led a life of Christ like perfection and is with God.
In 1969, the Catholic Church started a review of many legends of the saints. It was found that many of the legends were not based on factual evidence and some of the saints were removed from the universal church calendar. The Saint Christopher legend had him carrying a small child across a river. He then found out that the child was really Christ. It was determined that the story was not based on fact. His feast day of July 25th was removed from the Church calendar, but local dioceses could still honor him.
The formal sequence for declaring a person a saint can be illustrated by the canonization of Elizabeth Ann Seton.
1823: She died on January 4th at Emmitsburg, Maryland.
1882: Bishop Gibbons of Baltimore, acting on requests from the Sisters of Charity, and after consulting with other regional bishops, requested a detailed report on her life be prepared.
1940: The Bishops report was sent to Rome and reviewed by The Congregation for the Causes of Saints. A positive judgment was forwarded to the Pope.
1959: The title Venerable bestowed by the Sacred Congregation of the Catholic Church. This means people could pray to her and praise her virtue.
1963: The title Blessed bestowed by decree by Pope John XXIII after a miracle was authenticated due to prayers to Elizabeth.
1975: The tile Saint after canonized by Pope Paul VI and a second miracle was authenticated to Elizabeth's intercession to God.
The above sequence was a legalistic courtroom type process. The saint candidate had legal representation and the Church was represented by an Attorney called the Devils Advocate. This was changed in 1983. The sequence remained the same—but a new process was implemented. The legalistic approach was now more of a collegiate doctoral dissertation defense system. Local bishops were given more authority over the initial review of sanctity. The initial review when completed was sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. A realator was then given the task of preparing a positio, or formal authenticated document, for consideration by the Congregation. The realator was required to have a doctorate in theology and be fluent in latin, Italian, and three modern languages. Once the document was complete a postulator was assigned to help guide the candidate through the authentication of miracles. The steps of venerable, blessed and finally, saint was then possible to be given in the near or far future or never.
The important element to remember is that while the process to be named a saint has been formalized—in the end it is God who makes a saint. The pope acknowledges that the person is now with God and we can ask for his or her help in our prayers.
Some saints' bodies have been declared incorrupt. This means their bodies after death have not begun to decay and turn to dust. Saint Vincent DePaul is one example. In general, however, most saint bodies decompose in the normal manner.
Catholics use relics—parts of the body or clothes of the saints as a relationship between the saint and those asking for his or her assistance.
Orthodox Christians canonize saints by decree of the Holy Synod. Protestants in general do not venerate saints though Lutherans and Anglicans have feast days for saints. Hindus, Buddhists, Tibetans and Muslims honor saint types.
Pre-Colonial American Saints
The Church history of pre-colonial America includes the names of many saints who were killed for their missionary work trying to convert the native Indian Americans. These were French and Russian priests working in areas that later became parts of the new United States.
The most recent person canonized from that era was Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. She was an Indian girl whose mother was an Algonquin Christian and father was a Mohawk warrior. She was canonized for her work with the sick, her declaration of perpetual virginity and her practice of self mortification. She died at age 24 and lived in the area of what is now the town of Auriesville, New York, about 40 miles west of Albany. She was canonized October, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.
The American (United States) Citizen Saints
The five American citizens who became saints share a common heritage. All were missionaries. All were instrumental in establishing American catholic school and hospital systems. All established religious congregations. All of them died as an American citizen and their paths to citizenship were unique.
There are only five of them and each can claim a special distinction:
St. Frances X. Cabrini—The first U.S. citizen to become a saint. She was born in Italy and became a naturalized person.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton—She was born a British subject in the colony of New York and became a citizen when the Revolutionary War was completed.
St. John Neuman—The first and only male U.S. citizen and Bishop to become a saint. He was born in Bohemia and was a naturalized citizen.
St. Katherine Drexel—The first U.S. citizen born within the geographical territory of the United States to become a saint.
St. Marianne Cope—The most recently canonized citizen saint was born in what is modern day Germany. Her family immigrated to America, her father became a naturalized U.S. citizen and under our law at the time all family children became citizens.
There are currently American citizens who the Roman Catholic Church has given the titles Servant of God, Venerable or Blessed. These individuals are on what may be called on the road to sainthood. It is a very long and difficult journey. To advance toward sainthood they must have miracles attributed to their intercession. They may or may never, become saints.
Chapter Three
SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI
"Prepare for Eternity! Life is short and death is certain.
When we find ourselves on the brink of eternity, how shall we then desire to have passed the years of our life?" -Mother Cabrini
On July 15, 1850 Maria Francesca Cabrini was born in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, a small village in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. The village is about twenty miles from Milan, and is close to Lodi, which is a larger and better know village and is often incorrectly cited as her birthplace. She was born premature by two months, and therefore was small and fragile which caused her parents to worry that she may not survive. Due to this her mother wanted her baptized right away and so she was brought to the parish church for her baptism that very night. Her mother was 41 years old when she gave birth to Francesca, the tenth of eleven children. Only four of the children survived to adolescence. This was not uncommon in the 1800s, especially in rural areas where medical help was not readily available.
Many girls born to religious Catholic families at the time were given the first name of Maria, after the mother of God. Because it was so common, the first name was often unused. This was the case with Maria Francesca also: she was called Francesca. However even that seemed a long name for a tiny baby and her nickname became Cecchina, meaning "little one".
The story associated with her birthday is that while her father was working in his fields behind the house he saw a flock of doves circling above. They settled down on the grain he was threshing and although he tried to drive them away they kept returning. They were snow-white doves which were not usually seen in the village. One of them became entangled in either his thresher or the rose branch along the house and he rescued it. The stories differ as to whether he showed it to the children or brought it in the house to show his wife, but either way he then set it free. With it went all the other doves. Since doves symbolize peace, purity and beauty, when Mother Cabrini was born she is said to have reminded her parents of the dove: tiny, gentle and beautiful.
Cecchina's older sister, Rosa, who was fifteen when Cecchina was born, was instrumental in raising her. Rosa helped her mother a great deal with the household duties and with watching the younger children. Rosa later trained with the sisters at the Daughters of the Sacred Heart in Arluno to become a teacher and when she returned home following that four-year training, she opened a school for the children of Sant'Angelo in front of the Cabrini farmhouse. This is where Cecchina was educated and although she was often sick and missed classes, Rosa made sure she didn't fall behind in her lessons.
By all accounts Cecchina was a very pretty child. She was short and slim with blond curls, pale clear skin, a perfect oval face, full lips and big round eyes. In fact it was reported that Rosa, to keep Cecchina from becoming vain and showing off her curls, combed out and braided her sister's hair everyday.
The family was Catholic, in fact Cecchina's uncle was the parish priest in a neighboring village. Each evening Cecchina's father would read to the children from The Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, a magazine which included stories of missionaries in foreign countries spreading the word of God. Cecchina was fascinated by these accounts and developed a life long interest in China, and in becoming a missionary to the Chinese people.
Another story associated with Cecchina's childhood is the story of the "little boats". Although there are different versions of the story, such as which river was involved and whether she had wandered off while on a picnic with her family or she was visiting her uncle in a nearby town, the basics are the same. One day when Cecchina was nine years old she was alone sailing small boats she'd made out of paper, each filled with a wild violet she had found on the ground to represent a missionary on their way to China. She fell into the icy, rapidly moving water. Someone must have pulled her out of the river, but when she regained consciousness, she was alone so it was never known who had rescued her. When her uncle asked, she was adamant that it was her guardian angel, saying that she had seen it clearly.
Upon returning home that night Cecchina came down with a high fever and the doctor was sent for. She suffered very high temperatures and delirium for a week, and the doctor didn't expect her to survive. She did, but not without lifelong consequences: a fear of water and her already poor health deteriorated to include being plagued by bronchitis for the rest of her life.
When Cecchina was thirteen years old the village pastor, Father Dede, advised her parents to let her attend the same training school in Arluno that Rosa had gone to. Cecchina was keen to go and her parents agreed. Although there is not a lot recorded about the years she spent at the Daughters of the Sacred Heart it is known that she was absent often due to illness. Yet she loved school, was a good student, and managed to keep up with the rest of the class and even graduated with honors. By her own reports she was very timid in boarding school, stating: "I was so shy, I hardly dared to raise my eyes."
While at the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, Cecchina realized that she wanted to be a nun but her request was refused. The Mother Superior didn't think Cecchina's health would be able to stand the rigors of such a life. So at the age of 18, Cecchina returned home. She had received her teacher's license and went to work teaching with Rosa at the school.
It was not long afterwards that her father suffered a stroke. He lived a year or two longer, essentially as an invalid. When he died, in 1870, his wife was devastated and she too died within the year. Following their parents' deaths Rosa managed the household and their brother, Giovanni, managed the farm. But Giovanni's heart was not in it; he longed for adventure in Argentina.
Shortly after her parents had passed, when Cecchina was twenty, a smallpox epidemic broke out in their village. Although not a natural nurse, she was repulsed by the symptoms of sickness, Cecchina volunteered to tend to those afflicted. Soon she came down with the disease herself. Rosa took care of her and was so diligent about it, bathing her in milk and constantly applying salves, that when Cecchina returned to health she had not a single pockmark on her.
A few weeks after Cecchina recovered from smallpox Father Dede, the parish priest, asked her to substitute for a teacher who was ill in the nearby village of Vidardo. Cecchina agreed to do it, thinking it would be for just a few weeks, but she wound up staying for two years.
It was during this time that Giovanni moved to Argentina and convinced Rosa to go also. There was nothing holding them to Sant'Angelo Lodigiano any longer. Both parents were gone, there were no young siblings to take care of, and Cecchina was settled in Vidardo. Although it is surmised that their leaving Italy must have been felt keenly by Cecchina, there is not much written about it. One thing that is frequently noted is that while in Vidardo Cecchina met Father Antonio Serrati, the parish rector, and he had a great impact upon her future.
Soon after Cecchina moved to Vidardo, Father Serrati became a monsignor and was transferred to Codogno. There was a small orphanage there, the House of Providence, which was run and financed by a by an eccentric woman by the name of Antonia Tondini and her assistant, Teresa Calza. They did not manage the foundation well and the children were often neglected. Father Serrati asked Cecchina to go for a short time and establish order in the orphanage. Cecchina did not want to take on this task, by that time she had come to love her students in Vidardo, yet she believed it was what the Lord wanted her to do, so she agreed.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE FIVE AMERICAN CITIZEN SAINTSby James V. Canfield Eileen A. Canfield Copyright © 2012 by James V. Canfield Eileen A. Canfield. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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