Today with the canonization of Saint Theodore Guerin so we now have a new American saint, though she was born in Brittany, France. There are in fact only two American born saints St. Katherine Drexel
and
Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Which means there are still no American born male saints. Face it guys we are being slaughtered in the American born saint category. I mean tow to zero is a wipe out. Is there a stained glass ceiling preventing American born males from being canonized here? Do we need an Equal Saints Amendment or affirmative action for American born male saints?
Sure I know we have some waiting in the wings such as Venerables Terence Cardinal Cooke, Fr. Michael McGivney, and Fr. Solanus Casey. None of the four male Blesseds was born in the United States so this is more proof of American born male discrimination. Sure they will let you be a Venerable just to tease us, but when it comes time to the big leagues we aren’t considered good enough.
Let’s not take this lying down, instead let us take it on our knees. Come on and get to interceding now. Pick a Venerable of your choice and start praying for his cause. Learn about him and ask for his intercession. For my part I select Venerable Solanus Casey who was the first American born male venerable. Since I was first introduced to his story I have found him fascinating. Father Groeschel was one of his altar boys and relates a story of coming into the church late one night to find Fr. Casey playing his violin in front of the Blessed Sacrament. There is also the cause for Bishop Fulton J. Sheen which was opened in 2002 and he is now a Servant of God.
Now don’t get me wrong I am not a misogynist when it comes to women saints or prejudiced against immigrant saints and of course this is written tongue-firmly-in-cheek. Just let us slide in one American born male saint.
15 comments
Do you think it’s because our national civil religious consensus was always based on a Protestant, work ethic/worldly reward, predestination reasoning, including through the schools, until secular humanism and political correctness took over. The American world view has always been aimed more at accomplishment than sanctification.
I fully intend to be the first American-born male saint. But don’t rush me.
God Bless you both, After being at a HAugen -Haas Mass, you two had me LOLing for 10 minutes.
Again, God Bless
You’ve forgotten Bl. Vincent Capodano. Surely he was American-born. He get my vote any day! Faith and bravery all rolled into one!
I understand that Bishop Fulton Sheen’s case is moving along. Don’t get discouraged, guys.
Madonna,
Father Vince Capodanno is still at the Servant of God phase and is not a Blessed according to his official page.
http://www.father-capodanno.org/father/index.htm
Though I certainly do want to see the cause of the Grunt Padre advanced.
But you can console yourself with the fact that Mother Guerin is the first Celtic American saint! Hurray for Brittany!
Hey, I’ve been praying for the intervention of Fr. McGivney for a couple of years, now, but he hasn’t come through for me.
The Venerable Solanus Casey was born outside of Prescott, WI, just across the Mississippi from Minnesota, worked for a time at the Minnesota State Prison in Stillwater, MN, the city for which I once worked, and he worked as a street car drive/conductor for a time in Superior, WI, across St Louis Bay (of Lake Superior) from Duluth, where I was born.
I don’t have a choice and apologize for being neglectful in this. He is rapidly moving towards the top of my prayer list. With all my needs and requests, how could I have forgotten him?
Thanks for the guilt jog!
The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is trying to get a cause opened for Father Stanley Rother, martyred in Guatemala in 1981. His heart was buried in the church in Santiago Atitlan. When Fr. McSherry (Rother’s successor) had the heart exhumed so it could be moved, the blood was still fresh. Check out the Archdiocese web page for more: http://www.catharchdioceseokc.org/history/rotherindex.htm
I think it’s because the US is only 300-odd years old, and wasn’t given to martyring us (the fast track to sainthood). It takes a while to get saints recognized and made.
That’s it, I’m fasting and flagellating myself every day until I’m canonized.
Ed, that’s just bad! LOL!
I have a soft spot for Solanus Casey. I love the fact that he had trouble learning Latin, so he ended up being limited in his priestly duties – thus putting him in the position to be a porter and do a great good in Detroit.
I’m also pushing for a Slovenian saint: Bishop Frederic Baraga, the “snowshoe priest”.
Of course, there are a number of “American” blesseds~Bl. Miguel Pro, Bl. Andre Bessette, etc… . They just aren’t Americans born in the United States of America.
Bishop Sheen on the way. Plus, i continue to pray for the recognition of Thomas Merton who would make a great patron for vocations and conversion. (oh, yeah–he was born in France…) Well, maybe it’s time for us to recognize where our American saints come from? “Bring me your hungry, your poor…”