Best Saints to Introduce Non-Catholic To?

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My wife is considering converting. She’s asked me to put together some information for her on the differences between her denomination (Lutheran) and Catholicism, which I have.

As part of this, I wanted to include some info on saints and a selection of saints’ stories. Some were easy to choose - Blessed Damian of Molokai, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Theresa (I’m aware she’s not canonized yet), St. Francis of Assisi, and of course Mary.

What other saints have compelling life stories and would be good for evangelizing?

I’m looking for saints that are famous for something other than:
  • “first brought Christianity to place X” - that is primarily what St. Patrick, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, etc. are known for.
  • was mainly a saint because of his/her martyrdom (e.g., St. Sebastian)
  • was primarily a saint because of what he wrote (I love Thomas Aquinas, but he isn’t the first saint I’d tell a non-Catholic about)
  • was a great administrator (e.g., St. John Bosco), founder of an order/abbot (e.g., St. Anthony of Egypt), famous Pope, etc.
  • was, well, weird. I mean, St. Paul the Hermit lived in a cave for 90 years…I’m sure there is much to learn from such a simple life, but it’s hardly compelling for the average person!
…in other words, saints that the average American could relate to.
 
Saint Faustina would be my choice. Every religion believes in the concept of Divine Mercy
 
How about a fellow American–St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton. She was a convert from the Episcopal Church who founded a religious order to educate poor children.

I’m partial to St. Bernadette, not so much for the visions she had but because she is a wonderful witness to simplicity and honesty.

There is St. Therese of Lisieux who although she was pampered and petted learned how to become holy by doing small acts of love in everything she said and did.

Any saint’s life is going to be something of a challenge to a non-Catholic because heroic virtue is not a part of most non-Catholic Christians theology or world view. So, the things that many Catholic saints did and the way they lived their lives can be off-putting. So, you might want to help her understand what it means to be a saint in the Catholic Church before she reads about any of them. Just a thought.
 
You could consider Edith Stein, St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, O.C.D.
I think she is an exceptional saint.
Grace & Peace
 
Personally I like St Augustine (because of his life story as a sinner-turned-saint, not just his writings) and St Francis of Assisi (most Christians these days can get ‘down’ with his love of all creation and his desire for a simple non-materialistic life).

Or St Joan of Arc (don’t all of us need an inspiring story like hers, about God doing great things through the poor and humble to teach a lesson to the proud and mighty?)
 
The Cure of Ars/St. Jean Vianney is a wonderful story. He went into a town that had no faith - tons of bars and one broken down church. And he changed the town completely. He wasn’t eloquent. He was incredibly humble. He radiated love. He read souls. He fought with the devil, especially just before an especially bad sinner was about to come to confession. He loved God so deeply and that love converted the unfaithful.
 
How about Saint Maria Goretti, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, or Mother Cabrini?
 
Wow. These are all very good suggestions. I was thinking about St. Mary Magdalene for some reason. 🙂
 
Thanks for all the advice so far. Feel free to add more 😉

Right now my section on saints has these:
  • Mary
  • St. Francis of Assisi
  • Mother Theresa
  • St. Maximilian Kolbe
  • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
  • St. Thomas Aquinas
  • St. Gianna Molla
  • Bl. Damien of Molokai
I know I mentioned St. Thomas Aquinas before as one I probably wouldn’t include, but I added him because of his five proofs, and the Dominicans in my family.
 
What about St. Paul? I’m a little partial… he’s my patron saint. 😉

Sometimes I find it a nice common ground between a protestant and a catholic. Protestants know him because after all he wrote such a big part of the new testament! I love his story about the scales falling from his eyes, and he just went out and PREACHED. Love it. 🙂 Such an awesome conversion.

I second Edith Stein, also.
 
St. Gerard Majella for the sacrifices he made and the constant giving of himself.

St. Michael and the other Angels for their singleminded devotion to the protection of heaven and doing god’s will.

I would agree wholeheartedly with St. Paul. I think alot of converts from outside Christianity would look towards him. Goes from Christian-hunter to martyr and one of the most influential early Christians ever. His conversion and life alone should prove without a doubt that everything the Church teaches is true. A Pharisee that converts and gives up his life.

St. Peter due to his rejection of Jesus in times of despair, yet accepted back into the fold.

Pier Giorgio Frassati who devoted his life to attending the poor and sick without becoming a priest. He eventually became sick and succumbed to polio of which it was speculated he caught from those he tended to. When he passed away the streets were filled with the poor and it was then that they discovered that he came from a wealthy family. (By the way they just had his story on EWTN in the form of My Catholic Family)
 
refulgence said:
My wife is considering converting. She’s asked me to put together some information for her on the differences between her denomination (Lutheran) and Catholicism, which I have.

As part of this, I wanted to include some info on saints and a selection of saints’ stories. Some were easy to choose - Blessed Damian of Molokai, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Theresa (I’m aware she’s not canonized yet), St. Francis of Assisi, and of course Mary.

What other saints have compelling life stories and would be good for evangelizing?

I’m looking for saints that are famous for something other than:
  • “first brought Christianity to place X” - that is primarily what St. Patrick, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, etc. are known for.
  • was mainly a saint because of his/her martyrdom (e.g., St. Sebastian)
  • was primarily a saint because of what he wrote (I love Thomas Aquinas, but he isn’t the first saint I’d tell a non-Catholic about)
  • was a great administrator (e.g., St. John Bosco), founder of an order/abbot (e.g., St. Anthony of Egypt), famous Pope, etc.
  • was, well, weird. I mean, St. Paul the Hermit lived in a cave for 90 years…I’m sure there is much to learn from such a simple life, but it’s hardly compelling for the average person!
…in other words, saints that the average American could relate to.
Click to expand...
Keep it simple…

St Martin of Porres

St. Dominic Savio

St. Francis of Assisi

Sta. Teresita of Jesus

Just typing their names bring tears of peace to my eyes.

Aquiesce anima mea in Deus salus mea.
 
I think any Biblical Saint would be a good example to non-Catholic Christians. John the Baptist would be good for Baptists, I think. 🙂
 
St. Augustine was a preacher in the heretical sect of the Manicheans prior to his conversion to the Catholic faith.

He was the Bishop of Hippo at the time of the Council of Hippo, when the canon of the New Testament was being discerned, so he had a direct influence on the fact that we have a Bible today.

His conversion story, The Confessions of St. Augustine, is fascinating to read, and very inspiring. 🙂
 
Well St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas were good choices and I have a lot of respect for them. Those 2 in particular. Mary the Mother of God is always appropriate. St. Benedict of Nursia, St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Jerome are good too
 
I converted to the Church a few years ago. I was considering both Mary Magdelene and St. Therese of Liseaux (officially… St Therese of the Child Jesus). St Therese’s story in the book The Story of a Soul is beautiful. Her focus on the small things we can do for God finally made my choice for me. I am now a 43 year old working mother with little time for big things. But I can do little things, including teaching my children the true faith of the Catholic Church.
 
refulgence said:
My wife is considering converting. She’s asked me to put together some information for her on the differences between her denomination (Lutheran) and Catholicism, which I have.

As part of this, I wanted to include some info on saints and a selection of saints’ stories. Some were easy to choose - Blessed Damian of Molokai, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Theresa (I’m aware she’s not canonized yet), St. Francis of Assisi, and of course Mary.

…in other words, saints that the average American could relate to.
Click to expand...
You might want to get acquainted with St. Margaret Clitherow, martyr in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. She was a very capable wife, mother and manager of her husband’s business. Her husband was not Catholic but loved her dearly. She arranged for illegal Masses and helped illegal priests move about the country. She was jailed twice and the second time stood trial for treason. She was consistently brave, refusing to enter a plea which would have resulted in her children being tortured to extract “evidence.” She was executed by “pressing” with stones. Of her children, a daughter became a Sister and one or two sons became priests. She seems to have been an interesting woman: bright, sharp-tongued early in life but always striving to soften into the image of Christ. Definitely a real person!

Blessings,

Luminous Hope
 
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