Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 16, 2025 / 11:54 am

The canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in 1975 not only marked the establishment of the first American-born saint but also opened the door for other American Catholics to be honored for embodying the universal call to holiness.

“What made her canonization remarkable was that after 200 years of history in the country, it was the first time that a native-born American was declared a saint of the universal Church,” Rob Judge, executive director of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, told CNA. “It was this validation, that you can come from these lands and obtain holiness.”

Today there are 87 American Catholics on their way to sainthood. To recognize these men and women, the shrine put together the

See Full Page