Lay Saints

[Elijah_Baley]

A brief glance at the list of saints and those who have been recently beatified shows that a great many were priests, nuns or monks — there are very few, if any, of the laity represented.

I can guess why — something to do with living under the radar of holiness, at least — but I’m curious about lay saints and the frequency of canonization of any member of the laity. I’d prefer to concentrate on the last millenium rather than the first.

• Who is the most recently deceased lay saint formally canonized by the Church?
• Who is the most recently canonized lay saint?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MikeDunphy]

There is a good list of lay saints, beati and venerables here, but it would take some digging to answer your questions using the list.

 

[ConstantineTG]

There is a good list of lay saints, beati and venerables here, but it would take some digging to answer your questions using the list.

Aw, no Saint Lorenzo Ruiz? He was just a sacristan when he was martyred.

 

[Trishie]

Louis and Zelie Martin were both beatified in October 2009, a lay couple…parents of St Therese of Lisieux.

 

[newyorkcatholic]

there have been entire books written about “married saints” … googling should find them. “lay saints” as well

 

[MikeDunphy]

Aw, no Saint Lorenzo Ruiz? He was just a sacristan when he was martyred.

It is an incomplete list. Blessed Frederic Ozanam, one of the founders of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, is also not on the list.

 

[ThereseOfRoses]

A brief glance at the list of saints and those who have been recently beatified shows that a great many were priests, nuns or monks — there are very few, if any, of the laity represented.

I can guess why — something to do with living under the radar of holiness, at least — but I’m curious about lay saints and the frequency of canonization of any member of the laity. I’d prefer to concentrate on the last millenium rather than the first.

• Who is the most recently deceased lay saint formally canonized by the Church?
• Who is the most recently canonized lay saint?

Thanks in advance.

I would guess St Gianna Beretta Molla would be the most recent lay saint. She died in 1962, was canonized in 2004. She was a wife, mother, and medical doctor.

www.saintgianna.org

 

[cyberwolf001]

What’s really interesting is many of the lay Saints cannonized at some point took a vow to abstain from sex.

In fact one Catholic pointed out Thomas Moore is almost the only saint that was sexually active and it took forever to canonize him even though he died a martyr.

 

[SonCatcher]

My parish just started installing stained glass windows about a year ago. The fourth of six is the first to feature clergy/religious. Our pastor wanted to make sure to communicate that saints come from every walk of life, not just religious.

 

[corsair]

And St. Maria Goretti

 

[ThereseOfRoses]

What’s really interesting is many of the lay Saints cannonized at some point took a vow to abstain from sex.

In fact one Catholic pointed out Thomas Moore is almost the only saint that was sexually active and it took forever to canonize him even though he died a martyr.

Well, as I mentioned before, St Gianna Molla…she was canonized 22 years after her death and she and her husband had 4 children in 6 years (they were married in 1955 and she died in 1962, so she is obviously an exception the abstaining/celibate theory. I love that we have a canonized saint that was an educated wife and mother, and a really cool thing is that not only are there color photos of her, there are a couple of home movies of her wedding and a family gathering that are on a DVD of her life.

 

[cyberwolf001]

Well, as I mentioned before, St Gianna Molla…she was canonized 22 years after her death and she and her husband had 4 children in 6 years (they were married in 1955 and she died in 1962, so she is obviously an exception the abstaining/celibate theory. I love that we have a canonized saint that was an educated wife and mother, and a really cool thing is that not only are there color photos of her, there are a couple of home movies of her wedding and a family gathering that are on a DVD of her life.

Well that’s good to hear. One thing I had noted with married couples that became cannonized was at some point they took vows to abstain an this repeated in a lot of the stories of lay Saints.

I’ll be honest it was refreshing to hear the Catholic apologist say “You know this is a good point I can think of only two or three saints tops that had been sexually active. The implications are of course obvious and do give a distorted view of Catholic teachings on sex.”

I was very suprised with that amount of honesty and candor (Spelling?)

 

[MarkThompson]

Well that’s good to hear. One thing I had noted with married couples that became cannonized was at some point they took vows to abstain an this repeated in a lot of the stories of lay Saints.

I’ll be honest it was refreshing to hear the Catholic apologist say “You know this is a good point I can think of only two or three saints tops that had been sexually active. The implications are of course obvious and do give a distorted view of Catholic teachings on sex.”

I was very suprised with that amount of honesty and candor (Spelling?)

Let’s see: Ss. Joachim and Anna, St. Elizabeth, St. Monica, St. Augustine, St. Gianna Molla . . . there’s six already, easy! Not to mention St. Sylvia, mother of Pope St. Gregory the Great; St. Charles the Great (Charlemagne), St. Felicitas, mother of seven martyred sons . . . Yeah, you have to poke around a little to find them, but they’re there.