SAINTS

                               Catechism #946-963,  2677-2684

 

Outline

 

1.  Who are Saints

2.  Members of the Church

3.  Canonization Process

4.  Stages in Canonization

5.  Types of Canonized Saints

6.  Patrons of Various Types

7.  Doctors of the Church

8.  Examples

  

1.  Who Are Saints

 

People who led very holy lives or lives of heroic virtue

       some did great things for the church

They can intercede for us  and they merit our honor

In the New Testament a holy person who lived

       before Christ  Mt 27:52

In the New Testament a  synonym for a Christian  Phil 1:1

In the opening greetings of an epistle the term was 

       initially used for martyrs, then for ascetics and holy people

Hagiography - study of and writings about lives of the saints

 

2.  Members of the Church

 

Pilgrim church  or people living on earth,

Suffering church  - those in purgatory

Glorified church - communion or community

       of saints in heaven

We are a pilgrim people opposing evil

We can pray for the souls in purgatory

We can seek intercession from saints

Several saints are mentioned during Mass

 

3.  Canonization Process

 

Formal declaration by the pope or a papal

       agency of sainthood

St. Uldaricus was declared a saint by pope

       Benedict VI in 973

Pope Gregory IX restricted canonization

       to the pope in 1234

It involved sacred congregation for causes and saints

The process can start 50 years after death and must

       demonstrate a life of heroic virtue or martyrdom

       plus miracles

Saints can intercede with God for us     

 

4.  Stages  in Canonization  

 

Veneration, discontinued as a first step

Beatification -  limited veneration

       e .g.  by a religious order or a diocese

       at least one miracle is needed

Canonization or sanctification with  

       Veneration by the Universal Church

       an additional miracle needed

Placement on the Roman Calendar means that

       the feast is celebrated throughout the world

 

5.  Types of Canonized Saints

 

Mother of God - Mary

Pope - Gregory the Great

Bishop - Patrick

Priest - Francis de Sales

Deacon - Stephen, Francis of Assisi

Religious founder - Ignatius Loyola

Lay person - Thomas More  

Martyr - Maxmillian Kolbe

Virgin - Maria Goretti

Missionary - Francis Xavier 

Mystic - Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross

 

6.  Patrons of Various Types

 

Americas - Our Lady of Guadalupe, Rose of Lima

Canada - George   

Europe -  Benedict    

Germany -  Boniface and  Michael 

Ireland -  Patrick, Brigid, Columba    

United States - Immaculate Conception

Hopeless Cases -  Jude,

Journalists  -  Francis De Sales,     

Lawyers - Thomas More    

Missions - Francis Xavier, Thérèse of Lisieux  

Music - Cecilia,          

Physicians  Luke

Scientists - Albert the Great,  

Working People - Joseph   

 

7.  Doctors of the Church

 

In the West:  Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory

       the Great, Jerome

In the East:  Basil &  Gregory Nazianzen,

       Athanasius and John Chrysostom  

Others: Albert the Great, Anselm, Bonaventure,

       John of the Cross, Robert Bellarmine,Teresa

       of Avila,  Thérèse of Lisieux, Thomas Aquinas 

 

8.  Other Examples of Saints

 

Century                Saints

   I        Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene 

  III       Agnes, Lawrence the Deacon 

  IV       Ambrose, Athanasius, Monica

  VI       Benedict and Scholastica

 XIII      Clare, Francis of Assisi, Dominic

  XV      Vincent Ferrer, Bernard of Siena

XVII      Martin de Porres, Isaac Jogues

XVIII     Alphonse de' Liguori 

 XIX      John Vianney (Curé d'Ars) 

 XX       Pope Pius X, Elizabeth Ann Seton 

  

CPPoole, August 7 1999, October 17 2005