Married Saints

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I have noticed that very few canonized saints were married. Is there a reason for this? A successful marriage is a sign of heroic virtue in today’s world. Catholics could use some married role models. Do celibate clergy who control the canonization process opt for celibate saints? Is the process skewed towards celibate people?
 
Actually, there may be more than you think! - Joseph and Mary; Thomas More; Elizabeth Ann Seton’; Monica; Louis; Frances of Rome; Elizabeth of Hungary; Elizabeth of Portugal; Stephen of Hungary; Henry; Margaret of Scotland; Edward the Confessor; Bridget of Sweden; Peter; and many more, including my namesake, Arnulf, Bishop of Metz.

Good book on the subject: “Married Saints” John E. Fink, New YorK: Alba House, 1998
 
On May 16 2004, Pope John Paul II Canonized a Doctor and mother of four, St. Gianna Beretta Molla. She is proclaimed by the church as patroness of Mothers and The Family, and is a great witness for the pro-life movement.

~ to find out more about her life and heroic choice ~
gianna.org/
 
St. Cecilia was also married, she converted her husband and his brother.
 
There is a book “Married Saints and Blesseds through the Centuries” by Ferdinand Holbock. He lists 119 married couples.
 
Mary's Lamb:
There is a book “Married Saints and Blesseds through the Centuries” by Ferdinand Holbock. He lists 119 married couples.
Click to expand...
Do you have any other info about this book?
If you know the publisher that would be great.
 
The Pope in his current canonisations is stressing saints from all walks of life. That just goes to show that there is no preference for celibates in being canonised saint.
 
The book “Married Saints and Blesseds Through the Centuries” by Ferdinand Holbock is printed by Ignatius Press.
 
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Mokey:
I have noticed that very few canonized saints were married. Is there a reason for this? A successful marriage is a sign of heroic virtue in today’s world. Catholics could use some married role models. Do celibate clergy who control the canonization process opt for celibate saints? Is the process skewed towards celibate people?
Click to expand...
I don’t think it has as much to do with celibacy, but the fact that monks don’t marry. During the middle ages there would have been alot less canonization of married people because monks did not marry. The medievals had a hierarchy for everything including how saintly certain ways of life were. Monks were considered to be the most saintly followed by the secular clergy (basically your local parish priest and bishop) and down at the bottom was the laity. (This made sense because monks focused all their energy on God, the secular clergy focused on both God and the world and the laity were focused completely on the world.) Only the laity married therefore you won’t find too many medieval saints who were married. In recent centuries there have been more canonized laymen therefore more saints who were married are recognized.
 
Goodness is humble. Thare are a ton of saints married or not who we will only know about in heaven. As a marred man my minasry if you will is to my wife and children first. So you can see were this would get less attention than public menistry. 😃 How ever we are all part of the family of God and all parts are important.
 
As has been mentioned above, there are plenty of married saints. I think a better question is this:

Are there any married couples that are saints (other than Mary & Joseph)?
 
Weren’t the Martins (the parents of St. Theresa of Liseux) the first canonized couple?
 
The Martins are not canonized yet. They are in the process. Yes, there were a number of married couples who are saints. You can look it up in any lives of the Saints book.

The Holy Father beatified a couple last year: Louis and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi. They had several children, one a nun, another a Trappist priest. They attended the beatification ceremony.
 
Married saints are at a slight disadvantage as most do not have orders behind their effort donating the time and prayers to get the paperwork and research done that those of religious orders have and some clergy. They also tend to be less well-known, so have less effort on that account as well.
 
Do we refer to Louis and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi as Blessed Louis and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi or Saints Louis and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi. Are there any married couples to who we can publicly proclaim Saints X & Y?
 
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