Cologne, Germany Cologne Cathedral was one of the architectural wonders of the Middle Ages. From the time of its completion it was the largest church, and building, in the world, until it was surpassed by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. When it was finally completed in the 19th century, more than six-hundred years after construction began, it was also the tallest man-made … [Read more...]
SHRINE OF FATHER DAMIEN
Molokai, Hawaii Jozef De Veuster, better known as Father Damien, may be America’s best known saint, at least outside of the United States. A Catholic missionary to Hawaii in the 19th century, Father Damien became renowned for his work at one of the world’s most famous leper colonies. His ministry lasted throughout much of the second half of the 19th century before he … [Read more...]
ST. KATHARINE DREXEL MISSION CENTER AND SHRINE
Bensalem, Pennsylvania Katharine Drexel, America’s most recently canonized saint, was possibly the most prolific Catholic missionary in the United States at the turn of the 20th century. Born into the wealthy Drexel family, she used much of her inherited wealth to establish schools and other institutions for the benefit of the poor. Unlike most other American saints, whose … [Read more...]
SHRINE OF ST. FRANCES CABRINI
New York City, New York New York City was the primary destination for immigrants from Catholic countries to the United States for the better part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is therefore not surprising that the first American saint of the Roman Catholic Church was a New Yorker. Although Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Italy, she had become an American citizen … [Read more...]
NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. JOHN NEUMANN
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania John Neumann was a bishop of Philadelphia and, to date, the only fully American male citizen to be canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. As bishop of a major American city during one of the great immigration booms, Neumann was instrumental in serving Catholics arriving from all over Europe, founding new churches to accommodate them, and … [Read more...]
NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. MOTHER THEODORE GUERIN
St. Mary-In-The-Woods, Indiana Anne-Therese Theodore Guerin was French nun who followed in the footsteps of Rose Philippine Duchesne by moving to America in order to pursue missionary work and found Catholic schools in the New World. Like her predecessor, she also worked on the American frontier. She left behind an important legacy throughout the Midwest, and several … [Read more...]
NATIONAL SHRINE OF ELIZABETH ANN SETON
Emmitsburg, Maryland Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first native-born American citizen to be canonized, and is one of the most widely celebrated saints in the United States. An active missionary and energetic founder of schools during America’s early years, Seton was active throughout the American colonies. She is widely commemorated, especially in New York and Maryland, … [Read more...]
SHRINE OF ST. PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE
St. Charles, Missouri Rose Philippine Duchesne was one of the first important Catholic missionaries to serve on the American frontier. A member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, she founded the first Sacred Heart school in the United States, and became famous both for her work with Native Americans in the area as well for the establishment of many of the earliest Catholic … [Read more...]