On the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, there’s a truth that may have come as a surprise to the 26 eighth graders at St. Luke School in McLean: There are almost a dozen American saints.
Father Richard M. Guest, pastor, recalled the nation’s 1976 bicentennial celebration, and Pope Paul VI’s special consideration of the significant date, during a recent religion class.
“At the time, the pope kind of rushed to get St. Elizabeth Ann Seton canonized so we would have our first American-born saint by our bicentennial,” said Father Guest. “And now, here we are at our 250th birthday, and we have many more saints, and I don’t know how many they’ve heard of.”
With that in mind, Father Guest gave the eighth graders an assignment: Make a presentation about an American saint.
“I didn’t realize how many there were in the works right now myself,” he said, reflecting upon the American-saints-to-be.
The various steps to becoming a saint include being declared a servant of God; then venerable, followed by blessed; and finally, saint. The journey is both detailed and rigorous, requiring verified miracles, and thorough investigation by and approval from the church.
Currently, there are 11 American saints: Sts. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Marianne Cope, Katharine Drexel, Rose Philippine Duchesne, Mother Théodore Guérin, Isaac Jogues and the North American Martyrs, John Neumann, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Father Junípero Serra, Kateri Tekakwitha and Damien de Veuster (canonized as Damien of Molokaʻi).
There are also four American “blesseds” and 13 American “venerables,” with the famed broadcast evangelizer Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen scheduled for beatification and the title “Blessed” Sept. 24.
Archbishop Sheen was declared venerable in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. In 2019, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing a miracle through his intercession, clearing Archbishop Sheen for beatification. A second verified miracle must be attributed to his intercession in order for him to become a saint.
Father Guest hopes the saints assignment will make his students “more aware and help them learn about them, and then they’ll be presenting them to the other kids in the school.”
The students must produce a written report and know some facts, said Father Guest, who envisions their eventual presentations as a series of historical, saintly monologues. He’s looking forward to seeing the costumes.
Father Guest suggested the assignment will enable the students to have a “better appreciation of the Catholic Church in the United States — and the people who have helped us all grow in holiness by their example, by their witness and the great work that they did throughout the United States.”
“Saints can be right here, too,” he said. “And this country has produced a number of them.”
Anne Ryan Craig, principal of St. Luke School, said the assignment assists in realizing educational aims.
“It’s very much in my vision to do a lot of cross-curricular learning. I actually require it of the teachers, to do one cross-curricular project each trimester,” Craig said. “Father Guest is implementing that requirement by doing a cross-curricular project with the American saints with the social studies teacher, and with the language arts piece, because of the writing. So, it’s multi-disciplinary.”
Trish Adams, assistant principal, said the American saints project also reflects the variety of ethnicities in America.
“You know, we consider ourselves a melting pot,” she said. “And I think that kind of adds to that, and students can see themselves in the saints.”
Craig anticipates the saints that the students research may become their new heavenly friends.
“I hope that they take moments out of their day to pray with and for these saints,” she said, “and ask for their guidance and their help — in gratitude for what these individuals have done not only the Lord, but for our history.”
